脚踏实地 be down-to-earth
脚踩两只船 sit on the fence
君子之交淡如水 the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal; a hedge between keeps friendship green
老生常谈， 陈词滥调 cut and dried, cliché
礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
留得青山在， 不怕没柴烧 “Where there is life, there is hope.”
马到成功 achieve immediate victory; win instant success
名利双收 gain in both fame and wealth
茅塞顿开 be suddenly enlightened
没有规矩不成方圆 Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.
每逢佳节倍思亲
On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one’s dear ones far away.
It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most.
谋事在人， 成事在天 “The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes. ”
弄巧成拙 be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.
拿手好戏 masterpiece
赔了夫人又折兵 throw good money after bad
抛砖引玉 a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale
破釜沉舟 cut off all means of retreat； burn one‘s own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end
抢得先机 take the preemptive opportunities
巧妇难为无米之炊 If you have no hand you can’t make a fist./ One can’t make bricks without straw.
千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step–the highest eminence is to be gained step by step
前事不忘,后事之师 Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.
前人栽树,后人乘凉 One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests.
One sows and another reaps.
前怕狼,后怕虎 fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something
强龙难压地头蛇 Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt – Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.
强强联手 win-win co-operation
瑞雪兆丰年 A timely snow promises a good harvest.
人之初,性本善 Man’s nature at birth is good.
人逢喜事精神爽 Joy puts heart into a man.
人海战术 huge-crowd strategy
世上无难事， 只要肯攀登 “Where there is a will, there is a way. ”
世外桃源 a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;
死而后已 until my heart stops beating
岁岁平安 Peace all year round
上有天堂， 下有苏杭 “Just as there is paradise in heaven, ther are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth.”
塞翁失马， 焉知非福 Misfortune may be an actual blessing.
三十而立 “A man should be independent at the age of thirty.
At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself.”
升级换代 updating and upgrading (of products)
四十不惑 Life begins at forty.
谁言寸草心， 报得三春晖 “Such kindness of warm sun, can’t be repaid by grass. ”
水涨船高 When the river rises, the boat floats high.
时不我待 Time and tide wait for no man.
杀鸡用牛刀 break a butterfly on the wheel
实事求是 seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts
说曹操,曹操到 Talk of the devil and he comes.
实话实说 speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
实践是检验真理的唯一标准 Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.
山不在高， 有仙则名 “No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy; ”
韬光养晦 hide one’s capacities and bide one’s time