The higher up, the greater the fall. 攀高跌重:

know something like the palm or back of one’s hand 了如指掌;

constant dropping wears the stone 滴水穿石;

fish in troubled water 混水摸鱼;

Great oaks from little acorns grow. 合抱之木,生于毫末;

pour oil on the flame 火上加油;

Give somebody an inch and he’ll take an mile. 得寸进尺;

lie down on the job. 磨洋工;

Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁;

Walls have ears. 隔墙有耳;

The tailor makes the man. 人靠衣服马靠鞍;

a yes man 应声虫(跟屁虫);

at one’s wit’s end 才穷智尽;

hang by a thread 千钧一发;

plain sailing 一帆风顺;

follow in sb’s footsteps 步人后尘;

bite off more than one can chew 贪多嚼不烂;

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 心有余而力不足;

wash one’s hands of 洗手不干;

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 情人眼里出西施;

run sb. to earth 钻入地缝也要抓到某人;

skin deep 肤浅。

以上此类由于设喻形象相似,因而最容易掌握,我们平时学习中要注意积累。

二.英汉习语所用设喻形象各异,意义却相近的

When a man is going downhill, everyone will give him apush. 墙倒众人推;

silken tongue 巧舌如簧;

a flash in the pan 昙花一现;

don’t cry over spilt milk 生米已成熟饭;

put all one’s eggs in one basket. 孤注一掷;

hold a wolf by the ears 骑虎难下;

between the devil and the deep sea 进退维谷;

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