Pull the chestnut¹ out of fire.

火中取栗。

Put the cart before the horse.

本末倒置。

Put your shoulder to the wheel.

鼎力相助。

Reading enriches² the mind.

开卷有益。

Reading is to the mind while exercise to the body.

读书健脑，运动强身。

Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you.

要人尊敬，必须自重。

Rome is not built in a day.

冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。

Saying is one thing and doing another.

言行不一。

Seeing is believing.

眼见为实。

Seek the truth from facts.

实事求是。

Send a wise man on an errand³, and say nothing to him.

智者当差，不用交代。

Set a thief to catch a thief.

以贼捉贼。

Short accounts make long friends.

好朋友勤算账。

Something is better than nothing.

聊胜于无。

Soon learn, soon forgotten.

学得快，忘得快。

Soon ripe, soon rotten.

熟得快，烂得快。

Speech is silver, silence is gold.

能言是银，沉默是金。

Still water run deep.

静水常深。

Strike the iron while it is hot.

趁热打铁。

Success belongs to the persevering⁴.

坚持就是胜利。

Take things as they come.

既来之，则安之。

Talking mends no holes.

空谈无补。

Talk of the devil and he will appear.

说曹操，曹操就到。

Tall trees catch much wind.

树大招风。

Teach others by your example.

躬亲示范。

The best hearts are always the bravest.

无私者无畏。

The best man stumbles⁵.

伟人也有犯错时。

The cat shuts its eyes when stealing.

掩耳盗铃。

The danger past and God forgotten.

过河拆桥。

The darkest hour is nearest the dawn.

黎明前的黑暗。

The darkest place is under the candlestick.

烛台底下最暗。

The devil knows many things because he is old.

老马识途。

The devil sometimes speaks the truth.

魔鬼有时也会说真话。

The die is cast.

木已成舟。

The early bird catches the worm.

早起的鸟儿有虫吃。

The end justifies⁶ the means.

只要目的正当，可以不择手段。

The end makes all equal.

死亡面前，人人平等。