前言 1
1.矮子爬楼梯--步步登高 A dwarf climbing a ladder--becoming higher with each step 1
Preface 2
2.八仙过海--各显神通 The Eight Immortals cross the sea--each displaying his or her special prowess 3
3.半天空里挂口袋--装疯(风) Haning a bag in mid-air--holding the wind(feigning madness) 5
4.半夜里偷桃吃--找软的捏 Stealing peaches at midnight--picking only the soft ones 7
5.扁担没扎--两头失塌 A shoulder pole carelessly loaded--both loads will fall off 9
6.搽粉进棺材--死要面子 Putting make-up on before entering the coffin--saving face even when dying 11
7.茶壶里煮饺子--倒不出来 Boiling dumplings in a teapot--no way to get them out 13
8.城门里扛竹竿--直进直出 Carrying a pole through a city gate--in and out in a straight line 15
9.窗户上的纸--一戳就破 Paper window panes--torn by a touch 17
10.打破沙锅--问(璺)到底 Breaking an earthenware pot--cracking down to the bottom(getting to the root of the matter 19
11.大姑娘坐花轿--头一回 A girl sitting in a bridal sedan chair--the very first time 21
12.大热天穿棉袄--不是时候 Wearing a padded coat on a hot day--out of season 23
13.大水冲倒龙王庙--一家人不认一家人 The Temple of the Dragon King washed away by a flood--not recognizing one’s kinsman 25
14.刀尖上翻筋斗--玩命 Turning somersaults on knives--playing with one’s life 27
15.电线杆当筷子--大材小用 Using telephone poles as chopsticks--putting much material to petty use 29
16.擀面杖吹火--一窍不通 Using a rolling pin to blow a fire--totally impenetrable(a complete ignoramus) 31
17.高射炮打蚊子--小题大做 Killing a mosquito with a cannon--making a mountain out of a molehill 33
18.隔年的皇历--过时了 Last year’s almanac--out of date 35
19.狗拿耗子--多管闲事 A dog catching a mouse--poking one’s nose into other people’s business 37
20.狗撵鸭子--呱呱叫 A duck chased by a dog--quacking at the top of its voice 39
21.狗咬刺猬--无处下口 A dog snapping at a hedgehog--having nowhere to bite 41
22.狗咬吕洞宾--不识好人心 A dog biting lü Dongbin--not being able to rcognize a kind-hearted man 43
23.狗坐轿子--不识抬举 A dog sitting in a sedan chair--unable to appreciate a favor 45
24.棺材里伸手--死要钱 A hand stretched from a coffin--asking for money even when dead 47
25.韩信将兵--多多益善 Han Xin commanding troops--the more the better 49
26.和尚打伞--无法(发)无天 A monk holding an umbrella--having neither hair(law)nor sky(Providence) 51
27.和尚的脑壳--没法(发) A monk’s head--with no hair(no way out) 53
28.黄连树下弹琴--苦中作乐 Playing the zither under a Chinese pistache tree--seeking happiness from bitterness 55
29.黄鼠狼单咬病鸭子--该倒霉 A sick duck bitten by a weasel--more bad luck 57
30.黄鼠狼给鸡拜年--没安好心 The weasel pays a New Year call on the hen--not with good intentions 59
31.火烧眉毛--顾眼前 Eyebrows on fire--concentrate on immediate matters 61
32.鸡蛋里挑骨头--故意找错 Picking bones from eggs--finding fault deliberately 63
33.姜太公钓鱼--愿者上钩 A fish jumping to Jiang Taigong’s hookless and baitless line--a willing victim 65
34.脚底上擦油--溜了 Putting grease onto one’s soles--to slip away 67
35.井里的蛤蟆--没见过大天 A frog in a well--never having seen the whole sky 69
36.孔夫子搬家--净是输(书) Confucius moves house--nothing but books(always lose) 71
37.快刀打豆腐--两面光 Bean curd cut with a sharp knife--smooth on both sides 73
38.癞蛤蟆打哈欠--好大口气 A toad yawns--a gaping mouth(talking big) 75
39.癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉--痴心妄想 A toad Craving for swan’s flesh--an impractical dream 77
40.老虎戴佛珠--假装善人 A tiger wearing a monk’s beads--a vicious person pretending to be benevolent 79
41.老虎的屁股--摸不得 The buttocks of a tiger--cannot be touched 81
42.老虎嘴上拔胡子--找死 Pulling a tiger’s whiskers--only to court death 83
43.老鼠掉进书箱里--咬文嚼字 A mouse in a bookcase--chewing up the pages 85
44.老鼠过街--人人喊打 A rat runs across the street--everyone joins the hue and cry 87
45.老鼠爬秤钩--自己称自己 A mouse climbs onto a steelyard hook--weighing itself in the balance(chanting the praises of oneself) 89
46.老鼠钻进风箱里--两头受气 A mouse in a bellows--pressed from both ends(blamed by both sides) 91
47.老鼠钻牛角--此路不通 A mouse in an ox horn--meeting a dead end 93
48.老王卖瓜--自卖自夸 Lao Wang selling melons--praising his own wares 95
49.雷公劈豆腐--专找软的欺 The God of Thunder cleaves a bean curd--seeking out the soft and weak to bully 97
50.聋子的耳朵--摆设 A deaf man’s ears--just for show 99
51.搂草打兔子--顺手 Raking the hay and catching the rabbit--with no extra trouble 101
52.马尾穿豆腐--提不起来 Threading bean curd with a hair from a horse’s tail--impossible to lift it up 103
53.猫哭老鼠--假慈悲 A cat crying over a mouse’s misfortune--sham mercy 105
54.门缝里瞅人--把人看扁了 Gazing at someone from behind a slightly opened door--taking a narrow view of a person 107
55.木匠戴枷--自作自受 A carpenter in a cangue--suffering from one’s own endeavors 109
56.泥菩萨过河--自身难保 A clay Buddha crossing a stream--hardly able to save itself 111
57.螃蟹夹豌豆--连爬带滚 A crab carrying a pea--crawling and rolling 113
58.旗杆上挂灯笼--高明 A lantern hung from a flagpole--high and bright 115
59.骑驴看唱本--走着瞧 Reading a book on donkey back--reading while riding(wait and see) 117
60.骑在老虎背上--身不由己 Riding a tiger--having no control over oneself 119
61.千里送鹅毛--礼轻情意重 Travel a thousand miles to bestow a goose feather--a small gift may be a token of profound friendship 121
62.青石板上钉钉--不动 Driving a nail into a stone slab--impossible to penetrate 123
63.秋后的蚂蚱--蹦跶不了几天 A grasshopper at the end of autumn--its jumping days are numbered 125
64.热锅上的蚂蚁--团团转 A swarm of ants on a hot oven--milling around in a panic 127
65.肉包子打狗--有去无回 A meat bun thrown at a dog--by no means retrievable 129
66.十五只吊桶打水--七上八下 Fifteen buckets to draw water from a well--seven up and eight down(all at sixes and sevens) 131
67.寿星老上吊--嫌命长 A person of longevity hangs himself--growing tired of living a long life 133
68.睡在磨盘上--想转了 Sleeping on a millstone--expecting a turn of fortune 135
69.孙猴子的脸--说变就变 The Monkey King’s face--unpredictable changes 137
70.太平洋上的警察--管得宽 In charge of the Pacific Ocean--excessive responsibilities 139
71.太岁头上动土--好大的胆 Digging clay near Taisui--being reckless 141
72.铁打的公鸡--一毛不拔 An iron rooster--not a feather can be pulled out 143
73.听评书掉眼泪--替古人担忧 Shedding tears while listening to pingshu--worrying about the ancients 145
74.秃子跟着月亮走--沾光 A bald head shines in the moonlight--reflected glory 147
75.秃子头上的虱子--明摆着 A louse on a bald head--too obvious 149
76.兔子的尾巴--长不了 A hare’s tail--cannot be too long 151
77.脱了裤子放屁--多费一道手续 Taking off the pants to break wind--make an unnecessary move 153
78.外甥打灯笼--照旧(舅) The nephew holds a lantern for his uncle--things stay unchanged 155
79.王八吃秤砣--铁了心 A tortoise swallowing a weight--get an iron heart 157
80.蚊子叮菩萨--认错人了 A mosquito bites a clay idol--mistaken identity 159
81.乌龟吃萤火虫--心里明白 A tortoise which has swallowed a firefly--bright inside 161
82.瞎子戴眼镜--多此一举 A blind man putting on glasses--an unnecessary action 163
83.瞎子点灯--白费蜡 A blind man lighting a candle--wasting wax 165
84.虾子过河--谦虚(牵须) A shrimp crossing a river--modesty 167
85.瞎子磨刀--快了 A blind man sharpening a knife--not far to go(it feels sharper now) 169
86.小葱拌豆腐--一清(青)二白 Shallot mixed with bean curd--one green and one white(completely clear-cut or innocent) 171
87.小孩儿放鞭炮--又爱又怕 Kids letting off firecrackers--feeling both joy and fear 173
88.小和尚念经--有口无心 An apprentice monk reciting scriptures--saying what one does not mean 175
89.秀才遇见兵--有理说不清 A scholar meeting a warrior--unable to vindicate oneself against an unreasonable opponent 177
90.哑巴吃黄连--有苦说不出 A dumb person tasting bitter herbs--unable to express bitter feelings 179
91.哑巴吃饺子--心里有数 A mute person eating jiaozi--knowing how many he has eaten 181
92.阎王爷出告示--鬼话连篇 The King of Hell’s announcement--a whole series of lies 183
93.张飞穿针--粗中有细 Zhang Fei threading a needle--subtle in one’s rough ways 185
94.丈二金刚--摸不着头脑 The giant monk’s head--cannot be reached(can’t make head or tail of something) 187
95.芝麻开花--节节高 Sesame in bloom--rising steadily 189
96.周瑜打黄盖--一个愿打，一个愿挨 Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai--the punishment is appropriately given by one and willingly accepted by the other 191
97.猪八戒吃人参果--全不知滋味 Zhu Bajie eating ginseng--not knowing the taste at all 193
98.猪八戒照镜子--里外不是人 Zhu Bajie looking at himself in a mirror--blamed everywhere 195
99.竹篮打水--一场空 Drawing water with a bamboo basket--achieving nothing 197
100.啄木鸟打食--全凭嘴 A woodpecker searching for food--all depending on the mouth 199