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。

8 l. t) ?7 {- |+ hShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

3 z/ _( S0 Y9 hShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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0 O( v; o/ {# L; r. v- ~5 i动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

; V7 d% c. \3 K5 C动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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0 l, V- L: l& j, u+ ]他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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8 w" V  O% L& a4 X刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* t( A" r2 n  @9 d; E( {不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

9 r+ V' c+ w  t6 jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

+ g" s" R  Y& Z  u# c) _7 I- s3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

# n$ x7 k1 g( D5 NHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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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) C* {) k; P7 z* @5 m$ m5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

7 R/ b+ ]! x5 R! C* i- GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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1 n& \  [3 i  s& T" X" w" RIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

8 R8 {# ?0 M+ j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.

7 B5 y4 Y. ^2 w9 [( V6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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5 Z/ X0 M7 x% w. yHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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$ X* k: \! M2 s  J: T. Y9 t& N" L7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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8 ]& _( `( O0 cThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

$ o  h) k- a6 k( \1 `2 p! iIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 M. y9 X6 M7 }/ S* U9 ~+ y" alive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

' `1 g6 A. i* C8 N4 y$ [My 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.”
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( M4 L% n% L9 n6 y/ o4 ?. t9 r天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

5 G  M3 j4 k/ x% {& f- p' ^/ ^He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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' z  N3 e9 D( P: h: C画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

  [5 o0 Q# Z4 U  |: `4 K11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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2 h) N3 x1 S6 X2 [! gTom 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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8 I3 I" r2 T% j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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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1 m  C& S: {+ H$ ~All good things must come to end.
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; \* Y" a+ }. e3 z9 }: O+ TAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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! p, @" v# k2 t4 k" O8 }+ G. \3 q13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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+ l0 z# H# B3 B, k- e5 k# x0 xWith 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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A leopard can’t change its spots.

& Q1 J3 y! p& y" Q9 L% O1 B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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4 J) f2 v& p$ {* R6 ~A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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16. “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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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.
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1 D! j7 L* [, D* O" u) \4 @# h借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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+ G9 L0 F( @8 W+ ~8 Q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

; W5 j, J+ b* R: Z* 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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

4 g3 W2 q' `1 Y( [& G9 m. v胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

  @+ x' u  e8 U/ {0 h( rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

9 Q9 p# y0 h0 R2 MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

20. 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。
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He 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

1 V  {5 N1 d8 f) D上周日中午你去大统华了吗