《Chinese Idioms and Their Stories》内容简介

This collection of one hundred Chinese idioms details the stories behind each one and offers a humorous and fascinating insight into the cultural history of China. From paper tigers to praying mantis, to the music of nature and heavenly robes, these tales have not only shed light on the traditional Chinese way of thinking, but also illustrated many of its ancient customs. ZHANG Ciyun (Peter) born in Shanghai in 1949, graduated from Jilin Normal University, PRC with a major in English and later from Stanford University in the United States with a Master’s Degree in Journalism. Since 1980, he has had extensive experience working in different news agencies in the PRC. Also, he worked in the General Office of the Ministry of Communications as an interpreter and the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality as its Deputy General Director.

作品目录

Introduction
按图索骥
(àn
tú
suǒ
jì)
A
winged
steed
百步穿杨
(bǎi
bù
chuān
yáng)
Shooting
a
willow
leaf
班门弄斧
(bān
mén
nòng
fǔ)
Respecting
rank
别开生面
(bié
kāi
shēng
miàn)
Drawing
new
faces
兵不厌诈
(bīng
bú
yàn
zhà)
Nothing
is
too
deceitful
in
war
博士买驴
(bó
shì
mǎi
lǘ)
A
donkey
receipt
跛鳖千里
(bǒ
biē
qiān
lǐ)
A
lame
tortoise
triumphs
at
last
沧海桑田
(cāng
hǎi
sāng
tián)
Forever
changing
城门失火
(chéng
mén
shī
huǒ)
City
gate
on
fire
重蹈覆辙
(chóng
dǎo
fù
zhé)
Following
the
track
唇亡齿寒
(chún
wáng
chǐ
hán)
Lips
and
teeth
从善如流
(cóng
shàn
rú
liú)
Following
good
advice
得陇望蜀
(dé
lǒng
wàng
shǔ)
Insatiable
desire
东施效颦
(dōng
shī
xiào
pín)
Imitating
beauty
对牛弹琴
(duì
niú
tán
qín)
Lute
before
cattle
釜底抽薪
(fǔ
dǐ
chōu
xīn)
Removing
burning
firewood
from
beneath
a
boiling
pot
覆水难收
(fù
shuǐ
nán
shōu)
Spilt
water
lost
高山流水
(gāo
shān
liú
shuǐ)
Finding
source
of
inspiration
狗尾续貂
(gǒu
wěi
xù
diāo)
Wagging
the
dog
邯郸学步
(hán
dān
xué
bù)
Learning
to
walk
画虎类犬
(huà
hǔ
lèi
quǎn)
Be
tiger
or
dog
画龙点睛
(huà
lóng
diǎn
jīng)
Eyes
of
the
dragon
画蛇添足
(huà
shé
tiān
zú)
The
feet
too
far
鸡犬升天
(jī
quǎn
shēng
tiān)
Relative
power
狡兔三窟
(jiǎo
tù
sān
kū)
The
wily
hare
金城汤池
(jīn
chéng
tāng
chí)
Fortress
tactics
锦囊妙计
(jǐn
náng
miào
jì)
A
pouch
of
ploys
近水楼台
(jìn
shuǐ
lóu
tái)
Waterfront
towers
举棋不定
(jǔ
qí
bú
dìng)
Two
minds’
folly
刻舟求剑
(kè
zhōu
qiú
jiàn)
A
lost
sword
困兽犹斗
(kùn
shòu
yóu
dòu)
Like
a
cornered
animal
滥竽充数
(làn
yú
chōng
shù)
Playing
off-key
老马识途
(lǎo
mǎ
shí
tú)
Trust
an
old
horse
老生常谈
(lǎo
shēng
cháng
tán)
A
mere
platitude
乐不思蜀
(lè
bù
sī
shǔ)
Forgetting
one’s
home
梁上君子
(liáng
shàng
jūn
zǐ)
Gentleman
on
the
beam
两袖清风
(liǎng
xiù
qīng
fēng)
Clean
hands
鹿死谁手
(lù
sǐ
shuí
shǒu)
Who
will
take
the
deer?
洛阳纸贵
(luò
yáng
zhǐ
guì)
Paper
price
soars
满城风雨
(mǎn
chéng
fēng
yǔ)
Tempest
in
a
line
毛遂自荐
(máo
suì
zì
jiàn)
Promote
yourself
in
due
modesty
门庭若市
(mén
tíng
ruò
shì)
Crowded
courtyard
模棱两可
(mó
léng
liǎng
kě)
Pleasing
both
sides
the
best
way
to
survive
鸟尽弓藏
(niǎo
jìn
gōng
cáng)
When
birds
are
gone
抛砖引玉
(pāo
zhuān
yǐn
yù)
Ploys
to
collect
gems
破釜沉舟
(pò
fǔ
chén
zhōu)
The
no-way-out
order
旗鼓相当
(qí
gǔ
xiāng
dāng)
Uniting
flags,
drums
骑虎难下
(qí
hǔ
nán
xià)
Plight
of
riding
a
tiger
歧路亡羊
(qí
lù
wáng
yáng)
Pick
a
path
and
stay
on
course
杞人忧天
(qǐ
rén
yōu
tiān)
Easing
anxious
states
千万买邻
(qiān
wàn
mǎi
lín)
True
value
of
neighbors
黔驴技穷
(qián
lǘ
jì
qióng)
The
Guizhou
donkey
强弩之末
(qiáng
nǔ
zhī
mò)
A
powerful
crossbow
青云直上
(qīng
yún
zhí
shàng)
Meteoric
rise
in
rank
请君入瓮
(qǐng
jūn
rù
wèng)
Torture
by
own
design
罄竹难书
(qìng
zhú
nán
shū)
Not
enough
bamboo
人杰地灵
(rén
jié
dì
líng)
Inspiring
greatness
塞翁失马
(sài
wēng
shī
mǎ)
Relativity
of
hidden
values
三顾茅庐
(sān
gù
máo
lú)
Three
calls
at
the
thatched
cottage
三人成虎
(sān
rén
chéng
hǔ)
Lies
turning
into
truths
死灰复燃
(sǐ
huī
fù
rán)
Dying
ashes
flare
up
四面楚歌
(sì
miàn
chǔ
gē)
Mournful
songs
守口如瓶
(shǒu
kǒu
rú
píng)
Tight-lipped
counsel
守株待兔
(shǒu
zhū
dài
tù)
Hare-brained
水滴石穿
(shuǐ
dī
shí
chuān)
Art
of
water
torture
水深火热
(shuǐ
shēn
huǒ
rè)
Water
or
fire
option
太公钓鱼
(tài
gōng
diào
yú)
Fishing
hookless
贪生怕死
(tān
shēng
pà
sǐ)
Imperial
indulgences
螳臂当车
(táng
bì
dǎng
chē)
The
praying
mantis
螳螂捕蝉
(táng
láng
bǔ
chán)
Wasted
warnings
天罗地网
(tiān
luó
dì
wǎng)
Dragnet
of
deception
天衣无缝
(tiān
yī
wú
fèng)
The
heavenly
dress
铁杵成针
(tiě
chǔ
chéng
zhēn)
Li
needled
into
action
投鼠忌器
(tóu
shǔ
jì
qì)
Spare
a
rat
for
a
vase
完璧归赵
(wán
bì
guī
zhào)
Defending
the
stone
玩物丧志
(wán
wù
sàng
zhì)
Folly
of
the
senses
亡羊补牢
(wáng
yáng
bǔ
láo)
Never
too
late
to
fix
望梅止渴
(wàng
méi
zhǐ
kě)
The
power
of
illusions
危如累卵
(wēi
rú
lěi
luǎn)
An
eggy
tale
of
risk
味如鸡肋
(wèi
rú
jī
lèi)
Chicken
ribs
maneuver
未雨绸缪
(wèi
yǔ
chóu
móu)
Duke’s
poetic
advice
卧薪尝胆
(wò
xīn
cháng
dǎn)
Biding
time
for
revenge
物以类聚
(wù
yǐ
lèi
jù)
Birds
of
a
feather
相煎太急
(xiāng
jiān
tài
jí)
From
brotherly
beans
胸有成竹
(xiōng
yǒu
chéng
zhú)
Life
lesson
from
artist
悬梁刺股
(xuán
liáng
cì
gǔ)
Studies
can
be
painful
掩耳盗铃
(yǎn
ěr
dào
líng)
Stealing
a
bell
叶公好龙
(yè
gōng
hào
lóng)
A
dragon
passion
一鸣惊人
(yī
míng
jīng
rén)
The
first
sweet
song
一诺千金
(yī
nuò
qiān
jīn)
Worth
weight
in
gold
一丘之貉
(yī
qiū
zhī
hé)
Outspoken
to
death
一叶障目
(yī
yè
zhàng
mù)
Leaf
of
sad
illusion
饮鸩止渴
(yǐn
zhèn
zhǐ
kě)
Poisoned
wine
relief
游刃有余
(yóu
rèn
yǒu
yú)
Master
of
his
cleaver
愚公移山
(yú
gōng
yí
shān)
Moving
mountains
鹬蚌相争
(yù
bàng
xiāng
zhēng)
Third
party
thinking
越俎代庖
(yuè
zǔ
dài
páo)
Stay
out
of
the
kitchen
自相矛盾
(zì
xiāng
máo
dùn)
Spear
and
shield
朝三暮四
(zhāo
sān
mù
sì)
Monkeying
around
纵虎归山
(zòng
hǔ
guī
shān)
Setting
the
tiger
free