汉语俗语英译20句

leowxc

1. 她动不动就骂她的孩子们，但孩子们都知道她是刀子嘴豆腐心。
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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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1 K6 N& k  A; F: U& [5 Y+ B, B- i4 _动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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  ]4 w$ [; T/ l# N他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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8 \; X' D8 s- B0 }( aHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

2 \- R( s9 ]$ T# jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

& E7 O2 O& }- ~" ~0 w3 KIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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5 @% |4 J9 e4 t( d: U; K4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

2 t9 w+ ~; e* x' o& t" Z, m) x- A# y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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3 _9 g1 G/ C# [1 ^2 A6 }6 QThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

' Q% H) W& j: tIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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4 _& b: W- a2 `6 e' k! q若要人不知，除非己莫为: If you don’t wish anyone to know what you’ve done, it is better not to have done it in the first place.
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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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" g8 L1 }; j& A/ W, B. M2 |He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

; u% J8 c$ Z3 A) o3 B3 d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
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1 i7 o# Y& c& p: p3 U9 }8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

5 n( {* \5 x' |' `名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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" H* O' I; U( s( zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

2 H( ^) R0 L# y  X- Vlive up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

) R* G/ O- t- `7 o8 PMy father said, “Now that things have come to such a pass. It’s no use crying. Heaven always leaves one way out / Every cloud has a silver line.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

, u2 E* D6 w6 N/ Z( @0 Q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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$ `. S- g, F: c, g画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

8 k0 z" C# z) f9 D11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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% {' _+ d( B. y5 Q  b6 mTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
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三天打鱼，两天晒网: go fishing for three days and dry the nets for two--- work by fits and starts; lack perseverance.

) O( b& ]1 x, e7 F12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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5 [  J3 {* C" P! l. A天下没有不散的宴席: There never was a feast but the guests have to depart--- all good things must come to an end.
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( K  h3 q) O, `6 y8 M& h$ a+ Y9 x13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

3 y; |& B$ Z3 S  ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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5 W" B9 g! i9 ?$ R" ]A leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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: y% H$ O; Z( X/ h7 H% e16. “坐山观虎斗”，“借刀杀人”，“煽风点火”，“推倒油瓶儿不扶”，都是他们的本事。
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Talk about “sitting on a hill to watch tigers fight”, “murdering with a borrowed sword”, “stirring up trouble”, and “not troubling to right the oil bottle that has been knocked over”---- they are all good hands at such tricks.
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3 f5 L8 H" J- P3 o1 _0 Q坐山观虎斗:Sit on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight—watch in safety while others fight, then reap the spoils when both sides are exhausted.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

& X- ~5 v9 ?3 E8 N17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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  H+ a4 ^$ _2 D3 K, ?9 ~2 n哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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+ m: v) K  J8 V& A: z& H% R  [He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

9 v) M0 ~# O5 D. t# cThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

( h( d1 R. h6 \, h2 g$ tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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1 H; _9 F) Q( C, U扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

, l3 H# h/ J$ b20. 他利用那些有权有势的朋友帮助他走后门，到政府行政部门任职。

4 `7 H5 T( V" Y( h/ T% MHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

' A# A6 M! `% j; j+ t0 ?* Z: o上周日中午你去大统华了吗