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