许多中国人爱用俗语、成语、俚语。由于中美两国文化、风俗、思想、习惯的差异，如果照字直译，或把单字「堆在一起」，老外听了，也许就会「满头雾水」、「迷迷糊糊」，成了他们所说的「只有你们中国人听得懂」的「中国英文」（Chinese English）。
在此，把一些常见的中文俗语与一般老外的说法相对比较，或许可供有兴趣的读者参考。
1. 人山人海：有人直译为：People mountain people sea.
这就是「中国英文」，老外很难理解。他们指「人多」时，通常只说：「There is a large crowd of people.」如果看到电影院门前大排长龙，也只说：「There is (was) a long movie line.」
不过在诗词用语 (poetic expression) 里，老外也有使用：「a (the) sea of faces」，颇有咱们「人山人海」的味道。例如：
Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. A delivered a touching speech.（望着一片人山人海的听众， A先生发表一篇动人的演说。）
Standing at his podium, President Clinton saw a sea of faces waving at him.（柯林顿总统站在讲台上看到人山人海的人群挥手向他致意。）
可见，说话者通常要在台上或高处，才有「人海」的感觉。因此，可以说：I saw a sea of faces from the top of the building. 但在平地的人群中，就不说：「I saw the sea of faces.」也不说：「There is a sea of faces.」只说：「I saw a large crowd of people.」
2. 家家有本难念的经：有人译成：Every family cooking － pot has a black spot. (意思是：每个家庭的锅子都有黑色的污点)
这样说法，老外恐怕不能充分了解。不过老外最常的说法是：
Many families have skeletons in the closet. (许多家庭的衣柜里都有骨骸) (骨骸就是指家丑)
或者说：
Every family has its own source of shame. (每个家庭都有自己的丑事)
说白些，就是：
Every family has its own problem.
3. 天下无不散的宴席：有人直译为：There are no feasts in the world which do not break up at last.
老外听后，也许很难体会其中意义。如果按照美语说法，也许更易理解：
All good things come to an end. (意思是：所有好的事情，总有结束的一天。)
假如是指好友最后也有分别的一天，那么可以说：
Eventually, all bosom friends will drift apart. (bosom friend 是指知心的好友)
4. 平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚：有人照字直译为：When times are easy, we do not burn the incense,but when the trouble comes, we embrace the feet of the Buddha.
这种说法，老外也会「一知半解」。美语里一般说法是：
Worship God every day; not just in times of adversity. (要每天敬拜神，不是只在困难时。)
对学生也可以说：
If you study hard every day, exams will not seem overwhelming. (如果你每天用功，考试就不会形成压力。)
5. 挂羊头，卖狗肉：有人照字直译为：He advertises mutton, but sells dog's flesh. 或 He hangs up a sheep's head at the shopfront and sells dog meat.
这两种译法，恐怕老外都难理解，尤其谈到「狗肉」，他们更会「反感」，因为狗是他们最爱的宠物，不过老外倒有相近的说法：
He applied bait-andtch factics in business. (他经商的策略是先引诱顾客来，再改变货物的品质。)
(Bait-and-tch 当名词用) (也可不用连字号)
This store uses bait andtch policy.
或者简单的说：
Let the buyer be aware! (让消费者提高警觉) ; 或 n
Say one thing and do another.
6. 一言既出，驷马难追：有人译成：One word lets slip and four horses will fail to catch it. 或 A statement that once let loose cannot be caught by four galloping horses.
这两种说法，中文味道嫌重，老外未必理解。不过他们倒有类似的说法：
A word once let go cannot be recalled.
或者说：
You can not take back what you have said. (你说出的话，就不能再收回来。)
7. 祸从口出，言多必失：有人译为：The mouth is the gate of misfortune and evil.
老外听了，恐怕不能完全理解。最好说成：
Careless talk leads to trouble. (不小心说话，会带来麻烦); 或
The less said the better. (说的愈少愈好)
甚至也可以说：
Shut the mouth and open the eyes. (闭嘴少说，张眼多看。)
爱屋及乌 Love me, love my dog.
百闻不如一见 Seeing is believing.
比上不足，比下有余 "worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst
笨鸟先飞 A slow sparrow should make an early start.
不眠之夜 white night
不以物喜，不以己悲 not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personnal losses
不遗余力 spare no effort; go all out; do one's best
不打不成交 "No discord, no concord.
拆东墙补西墙 rob Peter to pay Paul
辞旧迎新 bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new
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
大开眼界 open one's eyes; broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
国泰民安 The country flourishes and people live in peace
过犹不及 going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little
功夫不负有心人 Everything comes to him who waits.
好了伤疤忘了疼 once on shore, one prays no more
好事不出门，恶事传千里 Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide.
和气生财 Harmony brings wealth
活到老，学到老 One is never too old to learn.
既往不咎 let bygones be bygones
金无足赤,人无完人 Gold can't be pure and man can't be perfect.
金玉满堂 Treasures fill the home
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
糖衣炮弹 sugar-coated bullets
天有不测风云 Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue
团结就是力量 Unity is strength.
“跳进黄河洗不清” "eve if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean--there's nothing one can do to clear one's name "
歪风邪气 unhealthy practices and evil phenomena
物以类聚，人以群分 Birds of a feather flock together.
往事如风 "The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is past."
望子成龙 hold high hopes for one's child
屋漏又逢连阴雨 Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.
文韬武略 military expertise; military strategy
唯利是图 draw water to one's mill
无源之水,无本之木 water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots
无中生有 make/create something out of nothing
无风不起浪 There are no waves without wind. There's no smoke without fire.
徇私枉法 bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends
新官上任三把火 a new broom sweeps clean
虚心使人进步,骄傲使人落后 Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.
蓄势而发 accumulate strength for a take-off
心想事成 May all your wish come true
心照不宣 have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding
先入为主 First impressions are firmly entrenched.
先下手为强 catch the ball before the bound
像热锅上的蚂蚁 like an ant on a hot pan
现身说法 warn people by taking oneself as an example
息事宁人 pour oil on troubled waters
喜忧参半 mingled hope and fear
循序渐进 step by step
一路平安，一路顺风 speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest
严以律己,宽以待人 be strict with oneself and lenient towards others
鱼米之乡 a land of milk and honey
有情人终成眷属 "Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well."
有钱能使鬼推磨 Money makes the mare go. Money talks.
有识之士 people of vision
有勇无谋 use brawn rather than brain
有缘千里来相会 Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.
与时俱进 advance with times
以人为本 people oriented; people foremost
因材施教 teach students according to their aptitude
欲穷千里目，更上一层楼 "to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go up, one flight."
欲速则不达 Haste does not bring success.
优胜劣汰 survival of the fittest
英雄所见略同 Great minds think alike.
冤家宜解不宜结 Better make friends than make enemies.
冤假错案 "cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases"
一言既出，驷马难追 A real man never goes back on his words.
招财进宝 Money and treasures will be plentiful
债台高筑 become debt-ridden
致命要害 Achilles' heel
众矢之的 target of public criticism
知己知彼,百战不殆 Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
纸上谈兵 be an armchair strategist
纸包不住火 Truth will come to light sooner or later.
左右为难 between the devil and the deep blue sea; between the rock and the hard place
口语和习惯用语里有很多都是和字面意思不一样的哦，所以
呵呵，不要以为这些你直观看到的哦，
试试看啊，你知道它们的真正意思吗?
这些呢，你知道吗？
1 You bet = of course 当然 ， 看我的！
2 Party animal 喜欢参加舞会的人
3 A fat chance 很小的机会
4 May I take a rain check? 可以改到下次吗？（如果有人请你吃饭，但不能赴约，只好请他改下一次）
5 Take French leave 不告而别
6 I don't get the picture 我不明白
7 Hit the road 离开
温馨提示：答案为网友推荐，仅供参考