在《简明英汉词典》（张其华，1984）中，"班门弄斧"的英文释义是：
display one's slight skill before an expert
当然，这是一条不错的释义。让我们再看一下Cambridge Dictionary在"teach"词条下收录一条成语：
to teach your grandmother to suck eggs (idiom)
其释义为：
to give advice to someone about a subject that they already know more about than you
这两条成语都扎根于各自不同的文化中，"班门弄斧"讲得是春秋战国时期的能工巧匠鲁班，他是一个善于制作精巧器具的能手，人们叫他“巧人”，民间历来把他奉为木匠的始祖。有一天，一个年轻的木匠漫不经心地走到一个大红门的房子前，举起自己手里的斧子，说：“我这把斧子，别看它不起眼，可不管是什么木料，只要到了我的手里，用我的斧头这么一弄，就会做出漂亮无比的东西来。”旁边的人听了，觉得他太夸口，就指着身后的大红门说：“小师傅，那你能做出比这扇还好的门吗？”年轻的木匠傲慢地说：“不是我吹牛，告诉你们，我曾经当过鲁班的学生，难道还做不出这样一扇简单的大门来，简直是笑话。”众人听了，忍不住大笑起来，说：“这就是鲁班先生的家，这扇就是他亲手做的，你真的能做出比这扇还好的门吗？”那位年轻的木匠不好意思地跑掉了。
说来有趣"to teach your grandmother to suck eggs"也是有故事的：
Long time ago, people would suck out the egg contents by piercing the egg at both ends and then sucking on one of the ends. You could reverse the procedure and blow out the contents also. It was a very commonplace procedure that everybody knew. Therefore, "to teach your grandmother to suck eggs" was like a child trying to teach as new something the grandmother knew well how to do. This saying still survives despite the fine art dying out in our "civilized" culture. Perhaps its meaning is getting lost in time as few people nowadays literally suck eggs.
很久以前，人们会在鸡蛋的两端穿孔，然后在其中一端吸吮来吸出鸡蛋里的蛋清和蛋黄。你也可以把程序颠倒过来，把里面的东西也吹出来。这是一个十分普通的程序。“教你的祖母吸鸡蛋”就像一个孩子试图教新的东西给祖母，可祖母早就知道怎么做。尽管艺术在我们的“文明”中消亡，但这句话尚幸存。也许它的意义会随着时间的推移而逐渐消失，因为现在毕竟几乎没有人会去真正地吮吸鸡蛋了。
直到现在，native speakers 仍然还有人在使用该成语，请看下面的例句：
1. Why are you explaining basic typing to Ethel? Sure, she's 70, but she's been using a computer since before you were born—quit teaching your grandmother to suck eggs!
你为什么要向埃塞尔解释基本的打字？当然，她已经70岁了，但在你出生之前她就开始使用电脑了。别教你奶奶吃蛋了！（班门弄斧）
2. These young hotshots come in and try to prove they know the ropes better than we do, like they're teaching their grandmothers how to suck eggs.
这些年轻的大人物进来，试图证明他们比我们更了解绳子，就像他们在教他们的祖母如何吮吸鸡蛋一样。（班门弄斧）
3. Don't suggest showing Mary how to knit. It will be like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs.
不要教玛丽如何编织。如果这样做，你就是班门弄斧。
via 郑新民谈英语教学与研究
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