很地道的成语翻译

丹尼尔

中华文化博大精深，成语俗语都是智慧结晶，但翻译成英文如果表达不当，却容易引起误解。所以，一起来学学常见中文成语的英译很有必要!

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9 E. e6 Z# B% L) g! S　　爱屋及乌

' V$ Y$ o" n: h' }1 E$ D　　Love me, love my dog.
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! q8 y8 U. g+ l5 P& \" N) W　　百闻不如一见

" `4 z+ f. d+ O4 v　　One look is worth a thousand words.
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　　Seeing is believing.

　　03

　　比上不足，比下有余

- }- S7 @: g, Y' b　　to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst
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: U# T- h% ^" {& c8 M+ R　　04

　　笨鸟先飞
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　　A slow sparrow should make an early start.

　　05

　　不遗余力
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　　spare no effort; go all out; do one's best

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　　不打不成交
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　　No discord, no concord.
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　　07
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* k& p8 y$ u& P8 V& I+ b4 f  B　　拆东墙补西墙
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) \) j; s4 m9 T  V　　rob Peter to pay Paul
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* ?6 A& X8 h& T0 r, ^　　08
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　　辞旧迎新
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4 B( \) J* f7 F( h. {　　bid farewell to the old and usher in the new
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+ c3 o  a( T( Y$ N8 ~/ e! L. U　　09

8 U$ H: f4 F6 s　　大事化小，小事化了
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　　try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all
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% ]8 N& b. i8 H5 d( M  N+ _　　大开眼界
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2 W1 R# F' m# z# L2 X' A+ M　　broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
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　　11
: c2 K5 h: T1 _
　　国泰民安

0 _' G2 S) I9 g2 I　　the country flourishes and people live in peace
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　　12

　　过犹不及

　　going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short; excess is just as bad as deficiency;
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　　too much is as bad as too little
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# d5 W1 A3 T; D; e8 L　　好了伤疤忘了疼

; t- |1 a7 v5 X" A　　once on shore, one prays no more

　　14
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　　好事不出门，坏事传千里

　　Bad news travels fast.

　　15

　　和气生财

　　harmony brings wealth;

3 ?: t# Z- q! i+ h. Q) R　　friendliness is conducive to business success

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　　活到老学到老
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' J7 o% o; K) q- d4 }5 Z　　never too old to learn
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　　17

+ Z  s2 G6 L1 L5 |1 Y4 Q2 c　　既往不咎
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　　let bygones be bygones
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　　18

　　金无足赤，人无完人

　　There are spots even on the sun.
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　　19

　　金玉满堂

　　Treasures fill the home.

　　20
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! |' M; g" ~# T7 `, f: g　　脚踏实地
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" t: c. Z' R/ c/ W" O" F　　be down-to-earth
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　　21

　　脚踩两只船
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0 A; _2 w6 H; @4 T　　sit on the fence; be a fence-sitter; have a foot in either camp
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# F3 m6 Y- O, U　　君子之交淡如水
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8 _/ D9 o% p- h4 D# F　　A hedge between keeps friendship green.
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5 j' Y* J7 e# F) M- d　　23
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　　老生常谈，陈词滥调

8 y$ o1 ?0 y+ z# D1 V! N2 {% h　　cut and dried; cliché
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5 U# |/ E+ L8 |+ e5 i' i2 `6 v　　24

& {1 |1 X0 O( S; e5 H　　礼尚往来

　　Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

　　25
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　　留得青山在，不怕没柴烧

; G& q6 ]  v* R8 Y　　Where there is life, there is hope.
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　　26
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- A3 Y$ |( }3 T) p' p; Z* }6 q. H　　马到成功

　　achieve immediate victory; win instant success

　　27
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　　名利双收

7 ~, D' B3 s# _% L. s0 @- ]　　gain both fame and wealth
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　　茅塞顿开
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　　be suddenly enlightened

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/ K* I4 `. S6 M0 e9 o7 q　　没有规矩，不成方圆
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　　Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.
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　　30

　　每逢佳节倍思亲

( J- Y& }; Q! n, S4 S5 W　　On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away.
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$ S+ {  B1 s8 G8 B8 W' R　　谋事在人，成事在天

7 r, m6 N+ }2 _: Y: j+ j1 d　　Man proposes; God disposes.

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0 H+ Q0 K* W" W　　弄巧成拙

6 L6 a8 K9 W- v0 Y( b  J　　make a fool of oneself in trying to be smart

　　33

7 L1 a" {; P5 K* @) r; v1 M　　赔了夫人又折兵

- A7 q& t$ N5 [　　suffer a double loss; lose the bait along with the fish

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　　抛砖引玉
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　　a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale

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　　破釜沉舟
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1 e* |- T4 {) @　　cut off all means of retreat;burn one's own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end

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　　抢得先机

　　take the preemptive opportunities

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" Z( j& ^5 |2 u7 b3 o　　巧妇难为无米之炊
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　　One can't make bricks without straw.
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  }! G) P- ]5 f. [- N# M- {% C　　38

　　千里之行始于足下
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1 z. ^$ P$ G. I- p4 {　　a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step

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# w* b1 f( m- ~5 a9 Q" `　　前事不忘，后事之师
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5 D7 p/ s9 [6 y　　Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.

　　40

　　前怕狼，后怕虎

8 I, I$ k5 t1 v8 y　　fear wolves ahead and tigers behind; hesitate in doing something

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　　强龙难压地头蛇
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　　The mighty dragon is no match for the native serpent.
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  o& c3 R) }+ F- o* \9 O9 O　　42
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　　瑞雪兆丰年

/ h  J6 @+ g% v$ W4 |4 k% o7 `　　A fall of seasonal snow gives promise of a fruitful year
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2 X1 D" L7 @+ z  X$ y9 i* P　　人逢喜事精神爽

$ g- }2 n+ R& [. u7 a+ A　　People are in high spirits when involved in happy events.

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　　世上无难事，只怕有心人
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' C! h: I; W* Z* G7 L0 S) X5 q　　Where there is a will, there is a way.

　　45
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　　世外桃源

, F  K" x# A% t( z9 L7 ~' r　　a retreat away from the turmoil of the world

　　46

1 A0 G- P* o7 a9 b  ^　　人之初，性本善
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6 r$ _! ^& |6 m$ J0 j! E7 K) l　　Humans are born good.

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  o  N7 q% n2 ]" N6 s　　上有天堂，下有苏杭

　　Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth
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! \1 F8 F0 O8 O- R/ I" P- K　　塞翁失马，焉知非福

4 a! N/ d2 ^  ^% o5 r  |  {+ p　　a blessing in disguise;

　　Every cloud has a silver lining.
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　　49

　　三十而立
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　　A man should be independent at the age of thirty. /At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself.

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. V# Y7 v. v: q' E0 E/ ?　　水涨船高

$ _3 B& \1 E1 R  ^　　A ship rises with the tide

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$ f  f! K9 i& P$ i0 r9 k　　时不我待

　　Time and tide wait for no man.

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　　杀鸡用牛刀
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+ {+ K) P1 W( k" d1 A9 z　　use a steam-hammer to crack nuts

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8 ]  Z4 w& r$ Z& D5 q5 p2 `　　实事求是
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) C3 H  `" i; N# K  y- p　　seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts

　　54
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　　说曹操，曹操到

$ u$ f. j' R% B　　speak of the devil

; u, d1 A4 |* `$ Q' |5 g　　55

; X' Q4 @; J& c6 R　　实话实说
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　　speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
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　　56

　　实践是检验真理的唯一标准
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: ?+ X2 N. t' g! w; z+ N　　Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.57
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　　韬光养晦

　　hide one's capacities and bide one's time58

0 |) L0 W! _# S0 Y& x3 W　　糖衣炮弹

9 w% B6 z3 @* i: d) ?  f　　sugar-coated bullets59
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　　天有不测风云

　　Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue60

$ ?/ e5 L5 ~8 m　　团结就是力量

　　Unity is strength.

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) ]8 ^6 i& v7 j, o9 H　　跳进黄河洗不清
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　　Even if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean - there's nothing one can do to clear one's name
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　　62

0 y6 j, Z5 x5 |) u6 v0 e( ?　　歪风邪气
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　　unhealthy trends and vulgar practices
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　　63
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" z, D. M; O. T　　物以类聚，人以群分
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　　Birds of a feather flock together.
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　　64

% u0 C2 g$ p/ l　　望子成龙

　　hold high hopes for one's child
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　　65
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　　唯利是图

. k+ k2 T2 }4 d* v. n% ?1 \　　seek nothing but profits; be blind to all but one's own interests

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　　无中生有

　　a sheer fabrication out of nothing; fabricate rumors out of thin air

　　67

　　无风不起浪
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　　There are no waves without wind. Nothing comes of nothing.
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5 }5 i* {; x5 c; p! ^9 c( k' c# W　　68
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　　徇私枉法

- Q$ t* Q0 Q7 f　　twist the law to suit one's own purpose
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　　69
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　　新官上任三把火
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# Y* l1 u3 y. E6 B5 ]! @8 c: O4 m1 M) @　　a new broom sweeps clean
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$ `5 D% L$ F; _: ]# F　　70

( v* Y6 v, p/ O) o; I# S4 B* d　　蓄势待发

　　accumulate strength for a take-off
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　　71

# E- o" W! K7 j7 B　　心想事成
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　　May all your wish come true
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　　心照不宣

　　have a tacit understanding; thoroughly understand each other, without having exchanged a word of explanation

　　73

) ~' d) k  v$ r1 D　　先入为主

　　First impressions are firmly entrenched.

　　74
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　　先下手为强

　　He who strikes first gains the advantage.

1 l$ d6 s" P7 c8 i& {　　The best defense is offense.

　　75

) j1 z- o- j- F! l7 r& d  w　　热锅上的蚂蚁
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7 m0 G% |9 Z, w. i* k　　ants on a hot pan

　　76
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　　现身说法
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　　warn people by taking oneself as an example
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8 ?+ m1 E" z# l　　77
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　　息事宁人

　　pour oil on troubled waters; patch up a quarrel and reconcile the parties concerned
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, j/ i, M; R' e. y% m　　循序渐进
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4 C3 O8 b; Y, e% Y. b　　proceed in an orderly way and step by step; advance gradually in due order

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　　严以律己，宽以待人
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　　be strict with oneself and lenient with others

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: z) o1 j4 I0 W! n  f" A　　有情人终成眷属

* `* f% T" o$ w+ S7 N5 o5 ?　　Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.81

6 J/ b7 s" P  Z　　有钱能使鬼推磨

+ q  ]5 L$ |( B# H+ J# ?　　Money makes the mare go./ Money talks.82

! [  ^$ v9 M  \　　有识之士
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0 D5 p1 e& q6 @/ f8 q' d! v3 f　　a man of insight83
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7 W# |. |7 d* M7 n7 ^　　有勇无谋

, l* T7 E0 E- N. E　　bold but not crafty84
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　　有缘千里来相会
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　　Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.85
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" ~# e9 B6 M& U! O　　与时俱进

' J- |! U3 Z3 i' V* ]　　keep pace with the times86
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　　以人为本
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" ~) t. U* M; L$ c' W1 G　　people-oriented

　　87
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　　因材施教
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　　teach students according to their aptitude
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　　88

　　欲穷千里目，更上一层楼

5 K9 v/ J) k) e* x/ v) @1 \- u1 g　　to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther.

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　　欲速则不达

$ E( r$ Y4 T/ `0 ?# m8 a: |　　Haste makes waste.

　　More haste, less speed.
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　　90
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　　优胜劣汰
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# s/ d- l$ C, w# h+ v3 }　　survival of the fittest

　　91

　　英雄所见略同
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　　Great minds think alike.

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, k4 s4 z* A2 \. @　　冤家宜解不宜结

1 h! z) ?  [. \  I: @1 j4 ~2 P　　Better make friends than make enemies.
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　　冤假错案

8 ?- m! g9 {. o* Y6 |/ s　　cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases

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8 g" F" w( j: g6 I6 V/ k) U　　一言既出，驷马难追

- h$ Z4 M( \$ B* i! x" q9 P; |. w　　A promise is a promise.
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　　A real man never goes back on his words.
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　　招财进宝
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, e5 r) W& w3 B+ k! c' @$ Y　　bring in wealth and treasure

　　96
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% v# a0 |& q8 o( \2 t; J　　债台高筑

　　become debt-ridden

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0 ~6 K6 f% Y1 [! _9 e　　众矢之的

　　target of public criticism

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4 R6 I; J% l2 U8 u  ]6 G　　纸上谈兵
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　　be an armchair strategist

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% C5 }/ X5 k" Q& ]& W. W$ n( D　　纸包不住火
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　　You can't wrap fire in paper.

　　What's done by night appears by day.

2 Z6 W# H0 ^. P: k7 |& |　　100

! I( F4 q9 k  g- `1 m　　左右为难
3 N' `" E2 _3 z) E# H0 G
　　caught in a dilemma; between the devil and the deep blue sea

Justing

应根据前后语境翻译，同一成语可以有不同译法。