1. 要想唱好，学会拐弯抹角。

1. To sing well, learn to sing around the bend.

2. ⑤鸡飞蛋打一场空← →鸡飞蛋打

2. ⑤A vain endeavor of chicken flying and eggs breaking ← → A vain endeavor of chicken flying and eggs breaking

3. ◆光说不练假把式，光练不说真把式，连说带练全把式。

3.◆ All talk and no action is a fake show, all action and no talk is a real show, talking and practicing together is a complete show.

4. ⑦鲁班门前弄大斧← →班门弄斧

4. ⑦At Lu Ban's door, swinging a big axe ← → Swinging an axe at the door of Master Ban

5. 俗语，也称常言，俗话，这三者应该是同义词。俗语一词，已经普遍用作语言学的术语；常言一词，带有文言的色彩；俗话一词，则有口语的气息。

5. Idioms, also known as common sayings or proverbs, are synonyms of each other. The term "idiom" has been widely used as a linguistic term; "common saying" has the color of classical Chinese; while "proverb" has the tone of colloquial speech.

6. 唱得好，全仗巧。

6. A good singer relies entirely on skill.

7. 歇后语、俏皮话，基本上是同义词。歇后语是语言学上的术语，俏皮话是口头上的称呼。

7. Pun sayings and witty remarks are basically synonyms. Pun saying is a term in linguistics, while witty remark is a colloquial term.

8. 小葱拌豆腐 － <一清（青）二白>

8. Scallion and Tofu - <One Green, One White>

9. 有些成语，为了增强形象性，往往会转化成歇后语。

9. Some idioms are often transformed into puns to enhance their imagery.

10. 装龙像龙，装虎像虎。

10. As the saying goes, act like a dragon and you will be treated like a dragon; act like a tiger and you will be treated like a tiger.

11. 有一年，慈禧太后忽然得了重病，头痛，心痛，肚皮痛，病到奄奄一息的地步，急得满朝文武百官团团转。北京城里名医车载斗量，可是对西太后的病症，都束手无策。是没有本领吗？不是的，实在是责任太大，在用药上为难了，轻了不见效，重了怕万一失误，吃罪不起。所以，弄得慈禧太后的毛病一天危急一天，眼看就要横下来了。

11. One year, Empress Dowager Cixi suddenly fell seriously ill, suffering from headaches, heartaches, and stomachaches, to the point of near death. The entire court was in a state of panic. Beijing city was full of renowned doctors, but none could find a solution to the Empress Dowager's condition. Was it because they lacked skill? Not at all; it was simply that the responsibility was too great, and they were at a loss in terms of medication. If they used too little, the illness wouldn't improve; if too much, there was a fear of making a mistake that could not be borne. Therefore, Empress Dowager Cixi's illness grew more critical day by day, and it seemed as if she was on the verge of passing away.

12. ②竹篮子打水，一场空（前为形象，后为解释，描述性俗语→俚语）

12. ② Empty basket, all for naught (the former is a metaphor, the latter is an explanation, a descriptive colloquialism → slang)

13. 一台无二戏，救场如救火。

13. One play, one match; saving the scene is like extinguishing a fire.

14. 既要苦练，还要苦思。

14. Both hard practice and deep thought are required.

15. 谚语是在人民群众中广泛流传的固定语句，是人民群众在长期生活实践中总结出来的经验和教训的结晶。谚语虽然简单通俗，但反映的道理却非常深刻。

15. Proverbs are fixed phrases widely circulated among the masses, representing the crystallization of experiences and lessons summarized by the people in their long-term practice of life. Although simple and popular, the truths reflected in proverbs are very profound.

16. ◆山是一步一步登上来的，船是一橹一橹摇出去的。

16. ◆The mountain was climbed step by step, and the boat was rowed out stroke by stroke.

17. 秋后的蚂蚁 － <蹦达不了几天>

17. Ants after autumn - <Can't hop around for long>

18. ①城门失火，殃及池鱼（形象，八个字，成语→俗语）

18. ①If a city gate catches fire, the fish in the pool will be affected too (figurative, eight characters, idiom → proverb)

19. 得之在俄顷，积之在平时。

19. It is gained in a moment, accumulated in everyday life.

20. 歇后语，是我们中国人特有的智慧与趣味语言，也是民间爱用的一种语法。

20. The pun is a unique form of wisdom and humor in Chinese language, which is also a grammar frequently used by the people.

21. 纸糊的琵琶 － <谈（弹）不得>

21. Paper-pasted Pipa - <Unplayable>

22. ⑤不敢越雷池一步（形象，精练，七字，俗语← →成语）

22. ⑤ Do not dare to step beyond the forbidden zone (figurative, concise, seven-character, proverb← → idiom)

23. 综上所述，谚语，俚语（描述性的俗语），歇后语，这三部分构成俗语的整体。俗语属于口语型的语句，与书面语型的成语、格言有所区别，它们是汉语的口语和书面语的两大系统。

23. In summary, proverbs, colloquialisms (descriptive slang), and idioms together constitute the whole of colloquialisms. Colloquialisms are oral-type statements, distinct from written-type idioms and proverbs, forming two major systems of the spoken and written language in Chinese.

24. 俗语中一部分为谚语，另一部分是描述性的语句，它们并没有总结知识经验，而只是表述一种情态。如：

24. Part of the proverbs in common sayings is folk sayings, and the other part is descriptive statements. They do not summarize knowledge and experience but simply express a state of affairs. For example:

25. 字不正听不清，腔不回不中听。

25. If the characters are not written correctly, they cannot be clearly heard; if the tones are not returned, they are not pleasant to listen to.

26. 心中有点儿，张嘴有板儿。

26. Have a bit in your heart and be firm in your words.

27. 字是骨头韵是肉，板是师傅。

27. Characters are the bones, tones are the flesh, and the board is the master.

28. ⑥拉完磨杀驴← →卸磨杀驴

28. ⑥ Kill the donkey after grinding → Kill the donkey after unloading the mill

29. 曹沧州像个乡下佬，平常不欢喜开口，走路也是慢吞吞的。这天，他接到圣旨，顿时面如土色，抱着一家老小嚎啕大哭。他认定，西太后若不到不可救药的地步，是不会从京城到苏州来请他的，治不好西太后，医生要殉葬，自己这条命是有去无回了。可圣旨不能违拗，曹沧洲只好硬着头皮动身。他一到北京刚住下，就借口路上受了风寒，便卧床不起，其实生病是假：要摸慈禧太后生病的根子是真。头一件大事是查看她吃了些什么药？不查不知道，一查吓一跳。慈禧太后每天吃的山珍海味不说，单是人参一项，日日恨不得泡在参汤里洗浴。还有燕窝、银耳，更是当饭吃。曹沧洲想到，医书上早有记载：“滋补过多，必然食阻中焦，中焦闭塞，危在旦夕。”找出病源，他的胆子大了，便去替慈禧太后看病了。

29. Cao Changzhou was like a rustic, not fond of speaking much in everyday life, and walked slowly as well. That day, upon receiving the imperial decree, he turned pale and cried loudly, holding his entire family. He believed that if the Empress Dowager Cixi was not at the point of no return, she would not have traveled from the capital to Suzhou to invite him. If he couldn't cure the Empress Dowager, the doctor would have to commit suicide as an offering to the grave, and his life would be over. However, the imperial decree could not be defied, so Cao Changzhou had to set off with a heavy heart. Upon arriving in Beijing and settling in, he claimed to have caught a cold on the journey and lay in bed, not getting up. In fact, he was pretending to be sick: the real reason was to uncover the root of the Empress Dowager's illness. The first major task was to find out what medicine she was taking? Unbeknownst to him, once he investigated, he was shocked. Besides the delicacies and mountain delicacies the Empress Dowager ate every day, just the ginseng alone, she wanted to bathe in ginseng soup every day. There were also bird's nest and silver ear fungus, which she ate as if they were food. Cao Changzhou thought of the ancient medical records that said: "Excessive nourishment will inevitably obstruct the central cavity, and if the central cavity is blocked, danger lies around the corner." After finding the source of the illness, his courage grew, and he went to treat the Empress Dowager.

30. 吐字归音，句句听真。

30. Pronounce each character clearly, and listen to every word intently.

31. 另据研究，蜘蛛的腿能感知20—50赫频率的声音，当天气转晴时昆虫易活动，飞行时发出的嗡嗡声，蜘蛛蛛很快就会发觉，所以便添丝织网，准备捕捉。这正是民间用“蜘蛛挂网，久雨必晴”谚语来观测天气晴雨的道理。

31. According to research, a spider's legs can perceive sounds at frequencies between 20 to 50 hertz. When the weather clears, insects are more active and their buzzing sounds while flying can be quickly detected by the spider. Therefore, the spider will spin a web and prepare for catching prey. This is the reason why the folk saying "When spiders weave their web, heavy rain will definitely clear" is used to observe the weather and predict if it will be sunny or rainy.

32. 有的文章中偶尔也把俗语称作成语。俗语和成语都是汉语中的约定俗成的语言形式，二者关系密切。“约定俗成”这一成语，就包含着俗、成二字。但从学习的角度来看，它们还是各有特点的。试比较下列例句：

32. Occasionally, some articles also refer to proverbs as idioms. Both proverbs and idioms are conventional language forms in Chinese, and they are closely related. The idiom "conventionally established" itself contains the characters for "conventional" and "established." However, from the perspective of learning, they each have their own characteristics. Let's compare the following examples:

33. ⑨怕噎了嗓子不吃饭← →因噎废食

33. ⑨ Afraid of choking, don't eat food ← → Because of a choking incident, stop eating.

34. ◆一天不练手脚慢，两天不练丢一半，三天不练门外汉，四天不练瞪眼看。

34. ◆ If you don't practice for a day, your skills will slow down; if you don't practice for two days, you'll lose half of your abilities; if you don't practice for three days, you'll be a complete beginner; if you don't practice for four days, you'll just watch in awe.

35. 楚霸王举鼎 － <力大无穷>

35. Xiang Yu lifting the鼎 - <Infinite Strength>

36. 我们有理由认为，这是当时流行在民间的俗语，是出于一般人民的生活经验。这类古代的歇后语，虽然很少见于文字记载，但在民间流传相信是不少的。如钱大昕《恒言录》所载："千里寄鹅毛，物轻人意重，复斋所载宋时谚也。"这类歇后语，直到今天还继续为人们所使用。

36. We have reason to believe that this was a popular folk saying at the time, derived from the life experiences of the general people. Such ancient proverbs, although rarely seen in written records, are believed to have been quite numerous in the folk tradition. As recorded in Qian Daxin's "Record of Perpetual Sayings": "A goose feather sent a thousand miles, the item is light but the meaning is heavy, a proverb from the Song Dynasty recorded by Fuzhai." These proverbs are still in use by people today.

37. 要在台上走，先得心里有。

37. To walk on stage, you first need to have it in your heart.

38. 逢大必小，逢高必低。

38. Where there is greatness, there must be smallness; where there is height, there must be lowliness.

39. 一响遮百丑。

39. One sound can cover a hundred blemishes.

40. 俚语，这个术语有时跟俗语相混，俚俗并称。这个“俚”，跟“乡里”之“里”有关，望文生义，也就是里人（乡下人）的意思。俚语常指带有方言色彩的土语。既然它有时跟俗语相混，而“惯用语”实际上又多指俚语，不如就借用“俚语”一词，来专指这些描述性的俗语。

40. Colloquialisms, this term is sometimes confused with slang, and the two are often used together. The character "俚" in "俚语" is related to the character "里" in "乡里", and literally, it means "country people" or "villagers". Colloquialisms often refer to local dialects with regional colors. Since it is sometimes confused with slang, and the term "idiom" actually often refers to colloquialisms, it might be better to borrow the term "colloquialism" to specifically refer to these descriptive slang expressions.

41. ◆不当家，不知柴米贵；不生子，不知父母恩。

41. ◆ He who has not run a household does not know the value of wood and rice; he who has not given birth does not know the love of parents.

42. 弄堂里搬木头 － <直来直去>

42. Lifting wood in the alley -

43. 台上无大小，台下立规矩。

43. On stage, there is no distinction between big and small; off stage, there are rules to follow.

44. 空棺材出葬 － <目（木）中无人>

44. Burial with an Empty Coffin - <Eyes (wood) without a person>

45. 西太后饮了三钱萝卜籽的药汤，当夜通了大便，第二天一早就起来了。她第一件事就是感谢神医曹沧洲，见面后恩赐曹沧洲九品顶戴，还要他骑马巡游京城，曹沧洲得了皇封，回乡时人未到家，地方官已经替他造好了三进房子。从此后，他在家专门为地方上乡亲看病，不但施诊，还要送药。逢人就劝人多吃萝卜，日子久了，苏州便有了"早吃生姜晚吃萝卜，郎中先生急得哭"的谚语了。

45. The Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi drank a decoction made from three qian of radish seeds, and that night she had a bowel movement. The next morning, she got up early. The first thing she did was to thank the famous physician Cao Cangzhou. After meeting him, she granted him the rank of the ninth level of official attire, and asked him to ride horses and tour the capital. Upon receiving the imperial favor, when Cao Cangzhou returned to his hometown, the local officials had already built three-story houses for him. From then on, he practiced medicine exclusively for his fellow villagers at home, not only providing medical consultations but also distributing medicine. Whenever he met someone, he would advise them to eat more radishes. After some time, Suzhou had the saying, "Early radish, late ginger, doctors cry for worry."

46. 武戏文唱，文戏武唱。

46. Act martial arts with literary flair, and perform literary arts with martial arts prowess.

47. 唱的好，味难拿。

47. Singing is good, but the taste is hard to grasp.

48. 这类歇后语，是用实在的或想象的事情作比方。如果对设比事情的特点、情状有所了解，也自然能领悟后半截的"谜底"。

48. This type of pun is used by making comparisons with real or imaginary events. If one understands the characteristics and situations of the events being compared, it is also natural to be able to understand the "answer" in the latter half.

49. 歇后语具有鲜明的民族特色，浓郁的生活气息，幽默风趣，耐人寻味，为广大群众所喜闻乐见。

49. The puns have distinct national characteristics, a strong sense of life, humor and wit, and are thought-provoking, which makes them popular among the general public.

50. ⑩什么病吃什么药← →对症下药

50. ⑩ What illness requires what medicine? ← → Treat the illness according to its symptoms

51. 四五人能当千军万马。

51. A few dozen people can be as formidable as tens of thousands of soldiers.

52. ④鸡蛋碰石头← →以卵击石

52. ④Hitting eggs against stones ← → To use an egg to strike at a stone

53. 俗语和成语，有时候也可能互相转化，并同时存在。例如：

53. Proverbs and idioms can sometimes transform into each other and coexist simultaneously. For example:

54. 有的图书称之为“惯用语”，但所涉及的语言现象，却是“俚语”，如：背靠背、开夜车、乱弹琴、磨洋工、冤大头，等等。笔者以前在《俗语五千条》的前言中，曾用“熟语”来称呼描述性的俗语。熟语这一术语的定义，也不十分明确，有的辞典又把它当作高于俗语、成语的术语来使用，而它本身又跟“俗语”的读音近似，某些方言区甚至就是同音词，作为术语，自身有不足之处。再三斟酌，觉得不如用“俚语”来代替。

54. Some books call it "colloquialism," but the linguistic phenomena involved are actually "slang," such as "back to back," "all-nighter," "play the fiddle," "shirk work," "a gullible fool," and so on. In the preface of "Five Thousand Popular Sayings," I once used the term "idiomatic phrase" to refer to descriptive colloquialisms. The definition of the term "idiomatic phrase" is not very clear either; some dictionaries even use it as a term that is higher than "slang" or "proverbs." Moreover, the term itself is phonetically similar to "slang," and in some dialect areas, they are even homophones. As a term, it has its own shortcomings. After careful consideration, I feel that it is better to use "slang" to replace it.

55. 词句准，不掉板，吐字清，不连线。?>

55. Words are accurate, not monotonous, articulation is clear, not connected.?>

56. 遇有交叉兼类情况的，则归入其特点更为明显的一类。如

56. In cases of cross-category, they should be classified into the category with more prominent characteristics. For example:

57. 若要戏路通，全靠幼时功。

57. If one wants to excel in the arts, it all depends on the foundation laid in childhood.

58. ◆不下水，一辈子不会游泳；不扬帆，一辈子不会撑船。

58.◆ Without getting into the water, one will never learn to swim; without hoisting the sail, one will never learn to row a boat.

59. 慢唱似流水，快唱像咬豆。

59. Singing slowly is like flowing water, singing quickly is like crunching beans.

60. 有些图书把俗语、谚语并称为俗谚，把它们汇编在一起。汇编在一起是可以理解的，但二者并不相等。谚语只是俗语的一部分，它是一些总结知识经验，寓有思想意义的俗语。如：

60. Some books refer to proverbs and sayings collectively as popular proverbs and compile them together. It is understandable to compile them together, but the two are not equal. A proverb is only a part of a saying; it is a saying that summarizes knowledge and experience, and contains philosophical meaning. For example:

61. 这是俗语的主要内涵，就外延来说，它跟成语难免有交错的情况。俗语虽然以形象为主体，但也不排除精练；成语虽然以精练为特色，但也不排除形象。成语虽然绝大多数是四字结构，但也有一些是由四个以上的字组成的；俗语句式虽然长短不齐，但也有少量是由四个字组成的。俗语虽然多为口语，但已广泛进入文学作品，甚至哲学、科技图书中也经常用到；而随着人们教育水准的提高，成语在口语中也经常使用。这样，俗语跟成语，就可能互相渗透，存在着交错现象。如：

61. This is the main connotation of proverbs, and in terms of extension, they often overlap with idioms. Although proverbs are primarily characterized by their imagery, they do not exclude brevity; while idioms are known for their conciseness, they also embrace imagery. Although the majority of idioms are composed of four characters, some consist of more than four characters; similarly, although the sentence structure of proverbs varies in length, a small number of them are composed of four characters as well. Although proverbs are mostly spoken language, they have been widely incorporated into literary works, and are even frequently used in philosophical and scientific books. As people's educational levels improve, idioms are also often used in spoken language. Thus, proverbs and idioms may interpenetrate and exhibit overlapping phenomena. For example:

62. 歇后语形式上是半截话（前半为形象或事例，后半为解释、说明），实际上是要把话说得更形象些，更具体些。因此，歇后语应该包括在俗语之内。不过，歇后语中的形象常常是漫画式的，带有戏谑调侃的色彩。它用种种修辞手段，对字、词、语、句（包括俗语本身）加以修饰，使之生动活泼。因而跟谚语、描述性俗语（改称俚语），又有些不同。如：

62. The idiom is formally a half-sentence (the first half being a metaphor or an example, and the second half being an explanation or clarification), but in fact, it is to make the words more vivid and more specific. Therefore, idioms should be included within the category of proverbs. However, the imagery in idioms is often cartoon-like, carrying a tone of playful jest. It uses various rhetorical devices to embellish words, phrases, sentences (including the proverbs themselves), making them lively and animated. Thus, it differs somewhat from proverbs and descriptive idioms (referred to as slang). For example:

63. 拉弓靠膀子，唱戏靠嗓子。

63. Drawing a bow relies on the shoulder, and acting relies on the voice.

64. ③芝麻开花，节节高（前为形象，后为解释，描述性俗语→俚语）

64. ③ Sesame plants bloom, their stems grow taller by the node (the former is an image, the latter is an explanation, a descriptive colloquialism → slang)

65. ①板凳没焐热← →席不暇暖

65. ①The bench has not been warmed up yet ← → There's no time to warm the seat.

66. 懒婆娘的裹脚 -- <又长又臭>。

66. The wrapped feet of a lazy wife — <long and smelly>.

67. 总结一般生活经验的谚语：如“寒从脚起，病从口入”、“早晨起得早，八十不觉老”。

67. Proverbs summarizing general life experiences: such as "Cold starts from the feet, illness enters through the mouth" and "Rise early in the morning, and you won't feel old at eighty."

68. 冷水发面 － <没多大长劲>

68. Cold Water Noodles - <Not very strong, not much stamina>

69. ②三天打鱼，两天晒网（形象，八个字，成语→俗语）

69. ② Fish for three days and dry the net for two (figurative, eight characters, idiom → colloquialism)

70. 这类歇后语，是利用同音字或近音字相谐，由原来的意义引申出所需要的另一个意义。这类歇后语，往往要转几个弯，才能领悟它的意思。因而也更饶有兴味。

70. This kind of puns takes advantage of homophones or near-sound words to extend from the original meaning to another desired meaning. Such puns often require several twists and turns to understand their meaning, making them even more interesting.

71. 歇后语良莠不齐，有些歇后语内容和形象，均不见佳，有一部分，甚至是语言垃圾，不宜滥用。有些常用的歇后语，形象较好，前后结合得比较紧密，已经跟谚语、描述性的俗语（俚语）近似。如：

71. The idioms vary in quality; some contain content and imagery that are not particularly good. A portion, even, can be considered language trash and should not be used excessively. Some commonly used idioms have better imagery and are closely connected in meaning, becoming almost synonymous with proverbs or descriptive colloquialisms (slang). For example:

72. 气出丹田，字正腔圆。

72. The Qi (vital energy) emanates from the Dan Tian, and the words are pronounced clearly and melodiously.