Idioms are a particular part of a language; they are usually highly specialized in meaning and closely tied to distinctive cultural features and cultural attitudes. It is believed that idioms are the most culturally loaded element in any language’s vocabulary. With relation to forms, they give an expression to the special features of the language. There exists vast differences between English and Chinese culture and this difference can be so formidable that the lexicographers may even think that it is impossible to give equivalents to certain culture-bound idioms.
Some English idioms and Chinese idioms share the same, or partially similar metaphors, and vice versa: