像鲸鱼吞食一口吞下，像蚕吃桑叶逐步侵占。比喻用各种手段侵吞。

take by force and encroach upon land or territory

比喻办事公正。

take the straight path follow the straight path act with rectitude

比喻做事各有各的一套办法。也比喻各自拿出本领互相比赛。

each one showing his or her special prowess

毛：举动轻率。做事粗心，不细致。

clumsy-handed or careless handling things

白白地耗费时间与精力。形容徒劳无益。

Wasting effort

淘：用水冲洗，滤除杂质。从沙里淘出黄金。比喻好东西不易得。也比喻做事费力大而收效少。也比喻从大量的材料里选择精华。

wash grains of gold out of the sands get small returns for great effort

图：计划，打算。比喻很快转变过来。另作打算。

quickly change ones plans

困在瓮中的甲鱼。比喻已在掌握之中，逃跑不了的东西。

trapped/like a rat in a hole

指处理事情公正符合情理。

fairness and justifiableness

写字的墨汁还没有干。比喻协定或盟约刚刚签订不久（多用于指责对方违背诺言）。

before the ink is dry, the agreement is broken

形容人性情浮躁，做事不踏实。

flighty and impetuous

根据事实，采取适当措施。

Act according to circumstances

成竹：现成完整的竹子。画竹前竹的全貌已在胸中。比喻在做事之前已经拿定主义。

have a well-thought-out plan

指让内行见笑。

A joke beyond embarrassment

治：整理；益：越发；棼：纷乱。理丝不找头绪，结果越理越乱。比喻解决问题的方法不对头，反而使问题更加复杂。

try to sort silk threads only to tangle them further try to help but only hinder

形容不懂得事情的利害。

know the depth of things have no sense of propriety not know the whole story

指以欺骗手段捞取钱财，陷害他人。

swindle

顾：回头看。看到了兔子，再回头叫唤猎狗去追捕。比喻动作虽稍迟，但赶紧想办法，还来得及。

See the hare and look back at the dog

原意是各人的口味不同，很难做出一种饭菜使所有的人都感到好吃。比喻做事很难让所有的人都满意。

its difficult to make everyone feel satisfied

了：了结，解决。把一件主要的事情了结以后，其余有关的事情也跟着了结。

when the key issue is solved, the solution of the whole problem will be expedited