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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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- V# j. D. y5 f* X# D  qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 X/ l+ \5 f  a7 ]5 x' _1 v动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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  Y: s" j3 r. H+ M他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

8 U1 e6 _$ J! N0 }) {6 Q/ i刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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- \+ r) v. C" l: X% K2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

# A% o/ b- x4 B  B6 j- ]) LHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 e3 e& E; \$ A4 ^& ?8 J- V不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
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0 N. l7 |& ~9 ?( c9 s  Grefuse to give up until all hope is gone

! P) G! a6 C1 q5 F( t! ^2 A7 v3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

! O; D. U9 u3 h6 x( p( j4. 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.

+ @$ x( T& C; r7 ]) w- H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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: A% [" |& d  q$ B5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

6 j' q" x- N& g. \# f& FThe 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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* a6 [9 B' b- _! B2 v8 ^' bIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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。

/ |  n4 O+ u- @7 [  Q6 B0 kHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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; J2 F8 L2 @* c0 M4 CIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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$ F* L; H) K  l) v6 {live up to one’s reputation
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1 Y+ l  Y& G( L* B9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 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’.”

5 t& i% f0 M/ s0 l9 H画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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* H4 j- x" I9 d% [Tom 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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+ t: C% s7 Q4 |2 |8 d! M* ]9 [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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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7 \- P/ {5 g( s2 e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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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  _* |; a1 @1 [# Z# m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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

/ T" o6 r1 W" X; ?江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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.

$ A9 [) q7 ^9 t: `) l7 g* y借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

" X4 T0 y* I) D; w7 A煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 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.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

5 O! L0 n! f, L' M' L2 ?18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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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

& q& ^5 O; n( l8 a' \; F19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

" D) @9 n7 i. v- ?2 dThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

' m$ ]" C; @& l% O20. 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。

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

( t  \, U# a# |( u: I* R; d上周日中午你去大统华了吗