前言 1
1.按图索骥 Looking for a Steed with the Aid of Its Picture 1
Preface 2
2.百发百中 A Hundred Shots，a Hundred Bull’s-Eyes 3
3.班门弄斧 Showing Off One’s Proficiency with the Axe Before Lu Ban the Master Carpenter 5
4.杯弓蛇影 Mistaking the Reflection of a Bow for a Snake 7
5.闭门造车 Building a Cart Behind Closed Doors 9
6.病人膏肓 The Disease Has Attacked the Vitals 11
7.草木皆兵 Every Bush and Tree Looks like an Enemy 13
8.吹毛求疵 Blow Apart the Hairs upon a Fur to Discover Any Defect 15
9.打草惊蛇 Beating the Grass and Flushing Out the Snake 17
10.调虎离山 Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountains 19
11.东施效颦 Aping the Beauty’s Frown 21
12.对牛弹琴 Playing the Lute to a Cow 23
13.负荆请罪 Bringing the Birch and Asking for a Flogging 25
14.功亏一篑 Ruining an Enterprise for the Lack of One Basketful 27
15.故步自封 Content with Staying Where One Is 29
16.含沙射影 Spitting Sand on a Shadow-Attacking by Insinuation 31
17.狐假虎威 Basking in Reflected Glory 33
18.囫囵吞枣 Gulping Down a whole Date 35
19.画饼充饥 Allaying Hunger with Pictures of Cakes 37
20.画龙点睛 Putting the Finishing Touch to the Picture of a Dragon 39
21.画蛇添足 Drawing a Snake and Adding Feet 41
22.惊弓之鸟 Birds Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring 43
23.精卫填海 Jingwei Fills Up the Sea 45
24.井底之蛙 A Frog in a Well 47
25.刻舟求剑 Notching the Boat to Find the Sword 49
26.空中楼阁 A Castle in the Air 51
27.滥竽充数 Passing Oneself Off as a Member of the Orchestra 53
28.狼狈为奸 A Wolf Working Hand in Glove with a Jackal 55
29.老马识途 An Old Horse Knows the Wey 57
30.梁上君子 A Gentleman on the Beam 59
31.临渴掘井 Not Digging a Well Until One Is Thirsty 61
32.满城风雨 A Storm Enveloping the City 63
33.盲人摸象 Blind Men Touching an Elephant 65
34.毛遂自荐 Mao Sui Recommending Himself 67
35.门庭若市 A Courtyard as Crowded as a Marketplace 69
36.名落孙山 Failing to Pass an Examination 71
37.南辕北辙 Going South by Driving the Chariot North 73
38.怒发冲冠 So Angry That One’s Hair Lifts Up One’s Hat 75
39.披荆斩棘 Breaking Open a Way Through Brambles and Thorns 77
40.蚍蜉撼树 An Ant Trying to Shake a Big Tree 79
41.破釜沉舟 Smashing the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats 81
42.破镜重圆 A Broken Mirror Made Whole Again 83
43.骑虎难下 When One Rides a Tiger It Is Hard to Dismount 85
44.杞人忧天 The Man of Qi Who Worried That the Sky Would Fall 87
45.黔驴技穷 The Guizhou Donkey Has Exhausted Its Tricks 89
46.日暮途穷 The Day Is Waning and the Road Is Ending 92
47.如火如荼 Like a Raging Fire 94
48.如鱼得水 To Feel Just like a Fish in Water 97
49.入木三分 To Enter Three-Tenths of an Inch into the Timber 99
50.塞翁失马 The Old Man of the Frontier Lost His Horse 101
51.三顾茅庐 Paying Three Visits to the Cottage 103
52.三人成虎 Repeat a Lie Enough Times and It Will Be Believed 105
53.丧家之犬 A Homeless Dog 107
54.杀鸡吓猴 Killing the Chicken to Frighten the Monkeys 109
55.甚嚣尘上 Making a Great Clamor 111
56.势如破竹 Like Splitting Bamboo 113
57.世外桃源 A Haven of Peace and Happiness 115
58.手不释卷 Always with a Book in Hand 117
59.守株待兔 Sitting by a Stump，Waiting for a Careless Hare 119
60.蜀犬吠日 A Sichuan Dog Barks at the Sun 121
61.束之高阁 Putting It on a High Shelf 123
62.水落石出 When the Water Ebbs，Stones Will Appear 125
63.四面楚歌 Songs of Chu on All Sides 127
64.谈虎色变 Turn Pale at the Mention of a Tiger 129
65.昙花一现 A Flower That Vanishes as Soon as It Appears 131
66.螳臂当车 A Mantis Trying to Halt a Chariot 133
67.天花乱坠 As If It Were Raining Flowers 135
68.天涯海角 The End of the Sky and the Corner of the Sea 137
69.天衣无缝 Divine Garments Without Seams 139
70.同舟共济 Crossing a River in the Same Boat 141
71.偷天换日 Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun 143
72.图穷匕见 When the Map Is Unrolled the Dagger Is Revealed 145
73.完璧归赵 Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao 147
74.亡羊补牢 Mending the Fold After the Sheep Have Been Stolen 149
75.望梅止渴 Looking at Plums to Quench the Thirst 151
76.望洋兴叹 Gazing at the Ocean and Sighing 153
77.为虎作伥 Helping the Tiger to Pounce upon Its Victims 155
78.卧薪尝胆 Sleeping on Brushwood and Tasting Gall 157
79.笑里藏刀 Hiding a Dagger Behind a Smile 159
80.胸有成竹 Having a Ready-Formed Plan 161
81.削足适履 Cutting One’s Feet to Fit One’s Shoes 163
82.揠苗助长 Pulling Up Seedlings to Help Them Grow 165
83.掩耳盗铃 Plugging One’s Ears While Stealing a Bell 167
84.偃旗息鼓 To Lower the Banners and Silence the Drums 169
85.叶公好龙 Lord Ye Loves Dragons 171
86.夜郎自大 The Conceited King of Yelang 173
87.一鼓作气 Rousing the Spirits with the First Drum Roll 175
88.一箭双雕 Killing Two Birds with One Stone 177
89.一鸣惊人 Amazing the World with a Single Feat 179
90.一丘之貉 Jackals of the Same Lair 181
91.愚公移山 The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains 183
92.鱼目混珠 Passing Off Fish Eyes as Pearls 185
93.余音绕梁 The Tune Lingers in the House 187
94.与虎谋皮 Borrowing the Skin from a Tiger 189
95.鹬蚌相争 A Snipe and a Clam Locked in Combat 191
96.朝三暮四 Three in the Morning and Four in the Evening 193
97.趾高气扬 Stepping High and Haughtily 195
98.指鹿为马 Calling a Stag a Horse 197
99.纸上谈兵 Discussing Strategems on Paper 199
100.自相矛盾 Contradicting Oneself 201