说明：口译时也可以按照字面直译出来，再解释，这样更加形象。例如：“有的国家不要草木皆兵”可以译为“Somecountryshouldnottakeallthegrassesandtreesassoldierswithapanic-strickenmind”。
拆东墙，补西墙。toresorttoamakeshiftsolution长江后浪推前浪，一代更比一代强。AsintheChangjiangRiverthewaves
behinddriveonthosebefore，soeachnewgenerationexcelsthelastone.常将有日思无日，莫到无时想有时。Ifyouthinkofwantintimeofplenty，
you’llhavenoneedtoyearnforplentyintimeofwant.沉舟侧畔千帆过，病树前头万木春。Athousandsailspassbytheshipwreck；
tenthousandsaplingsshootupbeyondthewitheredtree.趁热打铁Strikewhiletheironishot.
吃苦在前，享乐在后。tobethefirsttobearhardships，thelasttoenjoycomforts
吃老本torestonone’slaurels；torestonone’soars
尺短寸长Everybodyhashismeritsandfaults.Everyonehashisstrongandweakpoints.
船到桥头自然直Everythingwillstraightenoutintheend.大同小异largelyidenticalbutwithminordifferences；muchalike当断不断，反受其乱。Hewhohesitatesislost.
独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。Alone，alonelystrangerinaforeignland，Idoublypineformykinsfolkonholiday.
凡事预则立，不预则废。Preparednessensuressuccessandunpreparednessspellsfailure.
万事开头难Nothingiseasyinthebeginning./Itisthefirststepthatistroublesome./Itisthefirststepthatcosts.
分秒必争toseizeeveryminuteandsecond；Everysecondcounts.妇女能顶半边天Womencanholduphalfthesky.工欲善其事，必先利其器。Goodtoolsareprerequisitetothesuccessful
executionofajob./Ahandytoolmakesahandyman.
古今中外ancientandmodern，Chineseandforeign古为今用，洋为中用。Makethepastservethepresentandforeignthingserve
China.
管鲍之交DamonandPythias；DavidandJonathan光明磊落openandaboveboard
海内存知己，天涯若比邻。Abosomfriendafarbringsadistantlandnear.好事多磨Goodresultneedsrepeatedefforts.
喝水不忘挖井人/饮水思源Whenyoudrinkwater，thinkofitssource.花开堪折直须折，莫到无花空折枝。Gatheryerosebudswhileyoumay.化干戈为玉帛toburythehatchet
祸不单行，福无双至。Misfortunesnevercomealone.Blessingsnevercomeinpairs.
祸兮福所倚，福兮祸所伏。Goodfortunelieswithinbad，badfortunelurkswithingood./Fromdisasterfortunecomes，infortunelurksdisaster.
集腋成裘，聚沙成塔。Manyalittlemakesmickle.Manydropsmakeashower.
教学相长Teachingbenefitsteachersaswellasstudents./Toteachistolearn./Teachingothersteachesyourself.
解铃还须系铃人Whoeverstartedthetroubleshouldendit.Itisbetterforthedoertoundowhathehasdone.
金窝银窝，不如自家草窝。Eastorwest，homeisbest.金玉其外，败絮其中。Fairwithout，foulwithin.
精诚所至，金石为开。Faithwillmovemountain./Absolutesinceritywillmoveaheartofstone.
居安思危tobemindfulofpossibledangerintimeofpeace/Inprosperitycaution，inadversitypatience.
乐极生悲，否极泰来。Joyandsorrowarenextdoorneighbours.流水不腐，户枢不蠹。Runningwaterisneverstaleandadoor-hingenever
getsworm-eaten.
炉火纯青highdegreeoftechnicalorprofessionalproficiency
路遥知马力，日久见人心。Timeisarevealerofaman’ssincerity.Afriend
inneedisafriendindeed.
满招损，谦受益。Onelosesbyprideandgainsbymodesty.民以食为天Foodisthefirstnecessityofthepeople.谋事在人，成事在天。Manproposes，Goddisposes.
男尊女卑treatmentoffemalesasinferiortomales破釜沉舟toburnone’sboat
奇文共欣赏，疑义相与析。Aremarkableworkshouldbesharedanditssubtletiesdiscussed.
千里之堤，溃于蚁穴Oneant-holemaycausethecollapseofathousandlidike.（这是传统的直译方法，实际上可以根据英美人的习惯改造、处理。这里的“里”只是个概数，可以用“mile”，这样让国际友人更加容易明白。所以可以直译为“Athousand-miledikecanbecollapsedbyananthole”。）
或：Alittlenegligencemaybreedgreatmischief.Asmallleakwillsinkagreatship.
前车之覆，后车之鉴。Theoverturnoftheprecedingvehiclecanbealessonforthelatecomer.或者Thepreviousfailureshouldbealessonforfuture.
前事不忘，后事之师。Pastexperience，ifnotforgotten，isaguideforthefuture.或者Troublebringsexperienceandexperiencebringswisdom.
巧妇难为无米之炊传统上译为：onecannotmakebrickswithoutstraw也可以直译：Evenaskillfulhousewifecannotmakeamealwithoutrice.
锲而不舍，金石可镂。Patiencewearsoutstones.取其精华，去其糟粕。toextracttheessenceanddiscardthedross去伪存真toeliminatethefalseandretainthetrue人非圣贤，孰能无过。Toerrishuman，toforgivedivine.人穷志不短Poorbycondition，richbyambition.
人生有涯知无涯Artislong，butlifeisshort.人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青。Whatmanwaseverimmunefromdeath？
Letmebutleavealoyalheartshininginthepagesofhistory.
Shortismydate，butdeathlessmyrenown.人往高处走，水往低处流。Manendeavorstorise，waterflowsdownwards.
人无远虑，必有近忧。Ifamandoesnotgivethoughttoproblemswhichare
stilldistant，hewillbeworriedbythemwhentheycomenearer.口译可以简化译为“Withoutlong-termconsideration，apersonwillsurelyhaveimmediateworries”。
瑞雪兆丰年Asnowyear，arichyear.或者Snowforetellsabumperharvest.山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。Asuddenglimpseofhopeinthedarkmist
ofbewilderment.
上山下乡。goandworkinthecountrysideandmountainousarea少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。Anidleyouth，aneedyage.或者Lazinessinyouth
spellsregretinoldage.
生搬硬套tofollowtotheletter
生命在于运动Lifedependsonphysicalexercises（oronsports）.胜不骄，败不馁。Neitherbedizzywithsuccess，norbediscouragedby
failure.
失之东隅，收之桑榆。Whatyouloseontheswingsyougainontheroundabouts.Oneman’slossisanotherman’sgain.
失之毫厘，谬以千里。Amissisasgoodasamile.
十年树木，百年树人。Ittakestenyearstogrowtreesbutahundredyearstorearpeople.
事在人为Wherethere’sawillthereisaway.是可忍，孰不可忍？Ifthiscanbetolerated，whatcannot？
书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟。Thereisnoroyalroadtolearning.水可载舟，亦可覆舟。It’sthesamewaterthateitherfloatstheboatorsinks
it.
四海之内皆兄弟Allmenarebrothers.
辞旧迎新toringouttheoldyearandringinthenew天时不如地利，地利不如人和。Thetimeisn’tasimportantastheterrain；
buttheterrainisn’tasimportantasunitywiththepeople.天无绝人之路Thereisalwaysawayout.团结就是力量。Unityisstrength.
团结一致touniteasone
万事俱备，只欠东风。Allisreadyexceptwhatiscrucial.
亡羊补牢，犹未迟也。Betterlatethannever.或者Nevertoolatetomend.巍然屹立tostandloftyandfirm
为山九仞，功亏一篑。tofallshortofsuccessforlackofafinaleffort物极必反Noextremewillholdlong.