老生常谈，陈词滥调cut and dried, cliché

　　礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

　　留得青山在，不怕没柴烧Where there is life, there is hope.

　　马到成功achieve immediate¹ victory; win instant success

　　名利双收gain in both fame and wealth

　　茅塞顿开be suddenly enlightened

　　没有规矩不成方圆Nothing can be accomplished² without norms or standards.

　　每逢佳节倍思亲On festive³ occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away.

　　It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most.

　　谋事在人，成事在天The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes.

　　弄巧成拙be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.

　　拿手好戏masterpiece

　　赔了夫人又折兵throw good money after bad

　　抛砖引玉a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale

　　破釜沉舟cut off all means of retreat；burn one‘s own way of retreat and be determined⁴ to fight to the end

　　抢得先机take the preemptive opportunities

　　巧妇难为无米之炊If you have no hand you can"t make a fist./ One can"t make bricks without straw.

　　千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence⁵ is to be gained step by step

　　前事不忘,后事之师Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.

　　前人栽树,后人乘凉One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests.

　　One sows and another reaps.

　　前怕狼,后怕虎fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something

　　强龙难压地头蛇Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt.

        Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies⁶.