If a man possesses merit, the merit speaks for itself, not the owner of the merit.
沽名钓誉者不配得到荣誉。
He that desires honor is not worthy of honor.
观其行，知其人。
A man is judged by his deeds.
A man’s actions show his character.
A tree is known by its fruit.
Every tree is known by its own fruit.
The tree is known by its / her fruit.
光明磊落，胜券在握。
A clear conscience is a sure card.
光明磊落被赞扬的要比实践得多。
Plain dealing is praised more than practiced.
光明磊落才能有所作为。洗牌作弊的人打不好牌。
Many can pack the cards, yet cannot play well.
光明磊落是宝石，尽管用它的人常常死于贫困。
Plain dealing is a jewel, though they that use it commonly die beggars.
光明磊落最可贵。
Fair play’s a jewel.
果断与坚韧是最高贵的品质。
Decision and perseverance are the noblest qualities of man.
过分谦虚就是骄傲。
Too much humility is pride.
过河拆桥。
When the fish is caught the net is laid aside.
害群之马。
A rotten sheep infects the whole flock.
害人反害己。
Harm set, harm get.
Harm watch, harm catch.
He that blows in the dust fills his own eyes.
He that hurts another hurts himself.
The biter is bit.
Whoso digges a pit shall fall therein.
害人如害己。
Curses are like processions; they return to whence they came.
Curses, like chickens, come home to roost.
He that mischief hatches, mischief catches.
He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.
Who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.
好的行为绝不会消失。
A good deed is never lost.
好话说尽却一毛不拔。
He who gives fair words feeds you with an empty spoon.
好马不用鞭抽。好汉不用监督。
A good horse should be seldom spurred（装马刺的）.
好人不长久，祸害一千年。
Only the good die young.
The best go first.
Those whom the gods love die young.
好人之间总团结，坏人互相多斗争。
Vitues all agree, but vice fight one another.
好心人能克厄运。
A good heart conquers ill fortune.
好心人不说谎。
A good heart can’t lie.
好心有好报。
A patient man shall bear for a time, and afterwards joy shall be restored to him.
Do well and have well.
Every virtue has its rewards.
Good deeds are rewarded by happiness.
好主有良仆。
Good masters make good servants.
厚颜无耻源于无知。
Ignorance is the mother of impudence.
互相吹嘘。
You roll my log and I’ll roll yours.
互相利用，朋比为奸。
You scratc my back and I’ll scratch yours.
花言巧语不能当饭吃。
Soft words butter no parsnips.
花言巧语会装饰恶劣的行为。
Fine words dress ill deeds.
坏人不是一下就形成的，而是渐渐变得坏透的。
No man ever became thoroughly bad at once.
坏人得志时，六亲不认。
When a knave is in a plum tree, hea has neither friend nor kin.
坏事干一次，就有第二次。
He who has done ill once will do it again.
坏事易学，好事难学。
Ill weeds are sure to thrive.
Ill weeds grow apace / fast.
坏习惯像糕点，宜除不宜留。
A bad custom is like a good cake, better broken than kept.
患得患失的人必然优柔寡断。
He that counts all costs will never put plough in the earth.
饥寒起盗心。穷困和诚实两难全。
It is a hard task to be poor and leal（诚实的）.
饥者起贼心。
Hungry bellies have no ears.
A hungry belly has no ears.
积习难改。积重难返。
An old dog cannot alter its way of barking.
An old tree is hard to straighten.
Bad habits are easier conquered today than tomorrow.
It is not a sign of humility to declaim against pride.
见风使舵。墙头草，两边倒。
He will wag as the bush wags.
见识越广的人，越懂得宽恕。
The man who knows most forgives most.
见义勇为。
To pull the chestnuts out of the fire for somebody.
骄傲必须要收敛。
Pride must be pinched.
骄傲的人听到别人被赞扬时，便觉得自己受到了伤害。
When a proud man hears another praised, he thinks himself injured.
骄傲的心碰上献媚的嘴，是最危险不过了。
It is dangerous crisis when a proud heart meets with flattering lips.
骄傲是掩饰错误的面具。
Pride is the mask of one’s faults.
骄傲源于浅薄，狂妄出于无知。
Conceit comes from shallowness; arrogance is due to ignorance.
骄傲与愚蠢和无知是紧密相连的。
Conceit is associated with stupidity and ignorance.
骄傲走在前，耻辱跟后边。
Pride goes before and shame follows / comes after.
When pride is on the saddle（马鞍）, shame is on the crupper（马屁股）.
When pride rides, shame lacqueys（跟着）.
骄傲总是假装谦卑。
Pride that apes humility.
骄者必败。
Pride never left his master without a fall.
狡猾的人没有不露馅的。狐狸尾巴大，人人认识它。
The fox is known by his brush.
狡诈可能得逞一时，诚实乃上策。老实人常在。
Knavery（狡诈）may serve, but honesty is best.
脚正不怕鞋歪。
A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.
节制时最伟大的美德。
Temperance is the greatest of virtues.
斤斤计较难成大器。
A penny soul never came to two pence.
近墨者黑。摆弄沥青就会弄脏手指。
He that handles pitch, shall foul his finger.
He that touches pitch shall be defiled（弄脏）.
One / You cannot touch pitch without being defiled.
They that touch pitch will be defiled.
Touch pitch and you’ll be defiled.
He who touches pitch should be defiled therewith（于是）.
近朱者赤，近墨者黑。
Every cask smells of the wine it contains.
Evil communications corrupt good manners.
He that lies down / sleeps with dogs must rise (up) with fleas.
He that lives with cripples learns to limp.
If you live with a lame person, you will learn to limp.
He who keeps company with a wolf will learn howl.
If you live with a lame person, you will learn to limp.
Keep company with good men and you’ll intimate / learn to be.
Keep good men company and you shall be of the number.
Near vermilion one gets stained pink.
One who lives down with dogs, must rise up with fleas.
The finger that touches rouge will be red.
Who keeps company with the wolf, will learn to howl.
With the good we become good.
举止决定人。
Manners make the man.
绝望让人忘记羞耻。
Where the heart is past hope, the face is past shame.
君子喜闻己过。
Men of character like to hear of their faults.
君子一言，驷马难追。
A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled
A word once out flies everywhere.
A word spoken is an arrow let fly.
A word spoken is past recalling.
Among men of honor a word is a bond（契约）.
An honest man’s word is as good as his bond.
君子一言九鼎。
What is a gentleman but his word?
君子应喜闻己过。
A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong.
Nobody is willing to acknowledge he is in fault.
君子在德不在衣。
It is not the hood that makes the monk.
The hood does not make the monk.
It is not the gay coat that makes the gentleman.
君子之间不争吵。
Have no quarrels between gentlemen.
君子喻于义，小人喻于利。
A gentleman knows the value of righteousness（正义）while a small man knows only the
importance of gain.
靠骗人得利，终会咎由自取。
Gain got by a lie will burn one’s fingers.
克制了自己的火气，就等于征服了自己最大的敌人。
He who overcomes his anger subdues his greatest enemy.
口蜜腹剑。
There’s a snake in the grass.
Velvet paws hide sharp claws.
口是心非。表里不一。
Cry with one eye and laugh with the other.
口是心非。言行相悖。
The friar（天主教修士）preached against stealing and had a goose / pudding in his sleeve.
夸夸其谈者难成大器。
Great boast, small roast.
夸夸其谈者总是行动最少之人。
The greatest takers are always the least doers.
夸夸其谈者最会说谎。
A great talker is a great liar.
困难当头，有力的出力。
Put your shoulder to the wheel.
来说是非者，必是是非人。
The dog that fetches will carry.
