辞：言辞；意：意思。指词句不能确切地表达出意思和感情。

ones word does not express his idea the language fails to express the idea

指向君主进献良策以废弃弊政。同“进可替否”。

Advance can replace not

原指和尚常说的禅语或佛号。现指经常挂在口头上而无实际意义的词句。

tag/pet phrase

毫无根据的话。指背后散布的诽谤性的坏话。同“流言蜚语”。

rumors and slanders rumours and slanders

比喻众说纷纭，事情难成。

Building houses by the roadside

指双方的智略或势力旗鼓相当。

Evenly matched in intelligence and strength

比喻头绪纷乱。

Branches separate and twigs differ

比喻显贵。同“纡青拖紫”。

Wearing cyan and purple

《诗经》所说和孔子所言。二者均为历代儒者遵奉的信条。因用以泛指儒家言论或经典著作。

The poem says, the Master said

以水作佩饰，以风为衣裳。本写美人的妆饰。后用以形容荷叶荷花之状貌。

Water ornaments and wind clothes

原意是指希奇少见的花草。也比喻美妙的文章作品等。

Exotic herbs and rare flowers

犹言知人论世。指了解一个人并研究他所处的时代。亦泛指鉴别人物，评论世事。

Knowing people and affairs of the world

犹言口蜜腹剑。谓嘴甜心毒。 明 何良俊 《四友斋丛说·史二》：“ 李林甫 之蜜口劍腹， 賈似道 之牢籠言路，合而爲一，其患可勝道哉。” 明 尹直 《蹇斋琐缀录》卷一：“﹝ 徐有貞 ﹞私報 商先生 云：‘我無奈何回護，只得置足下於末。’其亦可謂蜜口劍腹者歟？”参见“ 口蜜腹劍 ”。

Honeyed words, a dagger in the belly

指富贵人家。

golden gates and embroidered screens the house of the extremely rich

用诗歌表达自己的思想和志趣。亦作“诗言志”、“诗以道志”。

Expressing ambition through poetry

枝长叶连。比喻有条理、有系统。

Strips and leaves interconnected

说废话

jabber blah-blah/do a lot of talking/indulge in idle talk argue pointlessly

谈笑如常，十分镇定。

be completely at ease go on talking and laughing as if nothing had happened natural and calm talk and laugh imperturbably undisturbed

为云雾缭绕的窗户和居室。借指高耸入云的楼阁。亦指建于极高处的楼阁。

Cloudy windows and misty railings

①本指树木的枝节。②比喻事物之细小部分。

Each branch and node