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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　　爱屋及乌

4 a5 ]9 J& h3 x' b8 l　　Love me, love my dog.
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　　百闻不如一见

　　One look is worth a thousand words.
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4 @! `/ x+ E/ S! y2 ~  H+ W0 h) W　　Seeing is believing.

　　03
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　　比上不足，比下有余
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+ ?5 Q# P8 }+ m2 |+ {( }　　to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst
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6 R2 Q$ M: P% ]8 o; Z) g/ M　　04

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

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

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　　不打不成交

　　No discord, no concord.

　　07
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# r- G5 F2 n- c/ t3 ]8 @, c　　拆东墙补西墙

" a" j) m7 p$ o　　rob Peter to pay Paul
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  K: `) a& V, m+ V) O　　辞旧迎新
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　　bid farewell to the old and usher in the new
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. I4 G' l' O, f/ o* |9 b　　09
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　　大事化小，小事化了

　　try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all
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　　大开眼界

- G8 h& P# N6 X2 N! G1 Z$ W　　broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
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　　11
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　　国泰民安
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　　the country flourishes and people live in peace

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　　过犹不及
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　　going beyond the limit is as bad as falling short; excess is just as bad as deficiency;

　　too much is as bad as too little
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% k) r) [4 y" I( r' D　　好了伤疤忘了疼
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" V2 e0 f1 O" c9 B4 y7 L1 n　　once on shore, one prays no more
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　　14

( Q! M% G$ R: I1 O　　好事不出门，坏事传千里
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2 j+ ?. G4 i. w# p% v& I　　Bad news travels fast.
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　　和气生财
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5 p6 J- s: k& e　　harmony brings wealth;

　　friendliness is conducive to business success
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　　16

　　活到老学到老
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　　never too old to learn

　　17
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　　既往不咎

! K4 q! x8 V, p　　let bygones be bygones

　　18

　　金无足赤，人无完人
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6 k' r# {9 b/ C6 o　　There are spots even on the sun.
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. y  i/ Q5 U# V! v" E6 A　　金玉满堂
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# v9 c! U/ C7 _3 @) s5 A+ H　　Treasures fill the home.
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7 h" W" c, ~. F9 q1 a% |　　脚踏实地
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　　be down-to-earth
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　　21
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　　脚踩两只船

6 ?8 f3 |. v) F. b　　sit on the fence; be a fence-sitter; have a foot in either camp

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　　君子之交淡如水

, v8 g" m  i0 G1 K( W6 b　　A hedge between keeps friendship green.
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　　老生常谈，陈词滥调
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　　cut and dried; cliché

　　24
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; ]2 n+ g# R* n9 H) }& Q　　礼尚往来

: ^/ Y( I0 \+ {1 I4 j5 F4 z　　Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
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% V1 x* \$ v! e# c. u9 [; b　　留得青山在，不怕没柴烧
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　　Where there is life, there is hope.
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1 O+ E! P5 T1 E! W8 V% T　　马到成功

　　achieve immediate victory; win instant success
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$ H2 h" s' e. `9 q! O　　名利双收

　　gain both fame and wealth

　　28

　　茅塞顿开

7 i5 t, W# N. e6 V: U& N　　be suddenly enlightened

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　　没有规矩，不成方圆

) W) d* R* Z) j% k4 H　　Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.

　　30
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9 u/ M0 m4 F; w7 d* o' \  r* k　　每逢佳节倍思亲

* E+ @" j2 m0 R0 s$ _4 A, ?　　On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away.
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　　31
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　　谋事在人，成事在天

　　Man proposes; God disposes.

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" ?8 c- }1 B- _- ~1 D4 Z7 Z* f　　弄巧成拙

: Y  v. l: p# {: i　　make a fool of oneself in trying to be smart

　　33

+ E. g1 m# q. U6 x　　赔了夫人又折兵

, M. B. g/ Z: a9 c% H" w6 G0 Z　　suffer a double loss; lose the bait along with the fish

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　　抛砖引玉
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0 C- K  c, ^: V$ l7 h6 i! z　　a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale

　　35
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9 ~% i/ x7 S  s' u$ m　　破釜沉舟
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# x% E8 W$ ^5 j. w9 \/ @　　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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　　36
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　　抢得先机

, B: j; b: h4 j/ r7 |8 ]0 y+ W　　take the preemptive opportunities

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% `- E+ x" {" R. v- D2 {　　巧妇难为无米之炊
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　　One can't make bricks without straw.
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+ S- e% [) Z) z: W# k! D　　千里之行始于足下
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　　a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step
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　　39

- O4 _7 K' M, Y2 {  K5 m1 j: J　　前事不忘，后事之师
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　　Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.
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　　前怕狼，后怕虎

　　fear wolves ahead and tigers behind; hesitate in doing something

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　　强龙难压地头蛇

　　The mighty dragon is no match for the native serpent.

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: I' z+ _' B1 m( J# i　　瑞雪兆丰年

; J3 |: l3 I6 v  ^5 v* J　　A fall of seasonal snow gives promise of a fruitful year
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　　43

　　人逢喜事精神爽

　　People are in high spirits when involved in happy events.

　　44

　　世上无难事，只怕有心人
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9 r, V& `6 K' z; e　　Where there is a will, there is a way.

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7 r* k) d8 ~( d% k! J: T　　世外桃源

7 E$ ?9 s( I  {+ a6 a0 u' U! E; w2 u　　a retreat away from the turmoil of the world

　　46

　　人之初，性本善

5 X% k# v) _4 `. n1 {" o% X　　Humans are born good.
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　　上有天堂，下有苏杭
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　　Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth

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+ c! q; k+ A" s" `　　塞翁失马，焉知非福

　　a blessing in disguise;
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/ d. I0 `1 u6 n$ }) ]" e% \- @, z　　Every cloud has a silver lining.
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　　三十而立

. T0 m; U+ G2 N& \9 K9 e3 E  Z　　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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　　水涨船高
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+ B2 u6 j8 p7 i5 y" o: T. u4 o7 v　　A ship rises with the tide
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　　时不我待

) k( R: `2 }' O: o& S# I% V+ l　　Time and tide wait for no man.

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& Y: y. |' N9 M" `, X) b2 n: S　　杀鸡用牛刀
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; }3 ~% j' \+ K5 A　　use a steam-hammer to crack nuts

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6 ^% X4 Y  @/ ^- U# {! u2 l8 A　　实事求是

( Z/ V/ W1 E; R, E% f  b, E　　seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts

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$ w* [! k2 j) Z　　说曹操，曹操到
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* _, k( q& k1 @/ @　　speak of the devil
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　　55
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' p  W' P8 g4 r　　实话实说

　　speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
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9 b$ ~+ P$ L3 l; W% V0 Z2 i　　实践是检验真理的唯一标准

　　Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.57
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　　韬光养晦
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0 Q" b7 u1 l; x+ m7 J. k　　hide one's capacities and bide one's time58
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　　糖衣炮弹
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6 p3 X2 a, O9 K" x. @, P$ b　　sugar-coated bullets59

　　天有不测风云
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　　Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue60

% P4 p6 F" d& U6 Z6 \　　团结就是力量

- R8 Z( o1 d4 C# d& t9 S　　Unity is strength.

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　　跳进黄河洗不清

　　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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8 f8 d2 t6 o7 E4 f* j2 V3 Z  b　　歪风邪气

0 {/ J- `1 N) Q1 s' f$ C　　unhealthy trends and vulgar practices

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　　物以类聚，人以群分
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/ k( w. Z9 J/ N0 I　　Birds of a feather flock together.

　　64
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　　望子成龙

( `' M" x; Q4 W: A) s1 ~　　hold high hopes for one's child

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　　唯利是图
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　　seek nothing but profits; be blind to all but one's own interests
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　　无中生有
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　　a sheer fabrication out of nothing; fabricate rumors out of thin air

　　67
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, e1 V: a- K- L0 S1 P　　无风不起浪

# E) ]3 f: {7 v* K+ p  V　　There are no waves without wind. Nothing comes of nothing.

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　　徇私枉法
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　　twist the law to suit one's own purpose

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: H# }6 S! s. t" p' K, k  N　　新官上任三把火
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5 S* n- [6 A- k/ v, W! ^　　a new broom sweeps clean

　　70

! S) m! r- i3 H4 ~4 W　　蓄势待发

) G( L) F* D2 G0 U8 A- ~! T　　accumulate strength for a take-off

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　　心想事成

) J& d, I) b# l　　May all your wish come true
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" o- V4 L; V9 L% d8 P　　心照不宣
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& y1 M2 k& r2 L# h4 j; H" \　　have a tacit understanding; thoroughly understand each other, without having exchanged a word of explanation

　　73
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( `' I5 ?' s  T. L2 j1 J　　先入为主

　　First impressions are firmly entrenched.
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; J* ]6 L% {) f2 G　　先下手为强
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　　He who strikes first gains the advantage.
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　　The best defense is offense.
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1 w$ ~7 I; b" V7 u　　热锅上的蚂蚁

& V! J( @+ _- ~: @2 k* F# X　　ants on a hot pan

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: H9 ~8 Q) @; H! c9 i5 Q9 K7 b7 g　　现身说法

　　warn people by taking oneself as an example
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　　息事宁人
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/ r" E0 c  J  t8 e+ R　　pour oil on troubled waters; patch up a quarrel and reconcile the parties concerned

　　78
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! G! [& Y8 L" P, z' \　　循序渐进
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% {3 ^! {4 p  X: @) N; t, Q　　proceed in an orderly way and step by step; advance gradually in due order
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# Y2 V: `/ @, ?, C; S3 V　　严以律己，宽以待人
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1 k) z& @. j/ `4 t' W% c4 O　　be strict with oneself and lenient with others
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　　有情人终成眷属

　　Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.81
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& E! P" J+ E& \1 z3 r3 v　　有钱能使鬼推磨
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　　Money makes the mare go./ Money talks.82
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　　有识之士

　　a man of insight83

) i6 a; _$ ]- O　　有勇无谋
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) X) z$ j6 Y& S7 R) K: V) K　　bold but not crafty84

　　有缘千里来相会

( `) T" z9 I$ H8 e　　Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.85

　　与时俱进
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. I) q; y- K9 A7 q" K0 w( a' }　　keep pace with the times86
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" v  M. n0 S  D* |　　以人为本

　　people-oriented

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　　因材施教

　　teach students according to their aptitude

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! }/ `5 ^# R& |( }* ^- w2 w　　欲穷千里目，更上一层楼
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: S; K) H% Y1 I) ~8 ^8 |2 ?1 i　　to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther.

　　89
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; B/ I# b9 H! M) O% r　　欲速则不达

　　Haste makes waste.
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　　More haste, less speed.

　　90
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　　优胜劣汰
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( a' F9 u% T1 V% f( [. M+ a/ b% n　　survival of the fittest

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6 d4 Y; ^) ?$ G' V9 w# r　　英雄所见略同

　　Great minds think alike.

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　　冤家宜解不宜结

6 S4 _6 O) F/ u+ s0 ^/ Q　　Better make friends than make enemies.

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　　冤假错案

) F- v' Y% f1 a  p8 m. u　　cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases

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8 P/ w" B( e9 Y2 e' {, w$ p; v, i　　一言既出，驷马难追
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　　A promise is a promise.

1 g1 g. L6 b& q  z" s6 C　　A real man never goes back on his words.

　　95

& h/ j4 G7 q3 C2 i; a. o' `　　招财进宝
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9 X8 h! j/ i4 x$ j' f$ _" A　　bring in wealth and treasure

! b5 [! V- Q% r5 O6 u8 t% Z　　96

　　债台高筑
' m8 e/ R! `. L- g  ]- w$ @* |
　　become debt-ridden

　　97

　　众矢之的

　　target of public criticism

5 F0 g! P1 L! e; q　　98

% ^9 {3 H; A8 r, {- U　　纸上谈兵

  |7 C. i7 M. |* d) x- m7 c/ A# \$ E　　be an armchair strategist
* [# M% B8 }. c/ f% V" R
, I- t: K7 `) U* B& K& t* q* o　　99

　　纸包不住火
/ |5 Y4 \4 l3 F4 j7 Q+ }
　　You can't wrap fire in paper.

5 ~7 }6 Q9 E+ w' p8 X) x# I　　What's done by night appears by day.
* ]3 v: o. i4 [( g; ^
　　100

& L( A3 {* e1 o  z　　左右为难
5 l3 }; |+ _0 P) i0 V
　　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。