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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  A1 o0 g" e2 u2 c- |  rShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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6 B. K  E# @; [% v2 o+ LShe 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

9 Q3 I6 g$ E7 S: r8 g动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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" V% ?  w' P: v1 \& K动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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: O( C( o) r+ h: k* l3 Q他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

' ]2 _; W$ p" K5 P" a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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! {, h; |# A! ]+ g! c6 g: o5 UHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

8 @! w* ^& O5 n; ^/ m, L% t" ^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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& v6 e& X4 ?, v2 }refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. L. M, Q3 d% tIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

# i6 `0 V( W0 @4. 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.
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8 A% @4 d  a7 E: k4 s! J. Z石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

' A: Q# e; e5 M. G9 p5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

5 C& ]/ B* |! ^# [The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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。

5 j) d9 m! m! K) r& ZHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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% f& s: K4 M$ q0 m7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

8 G4 p& Z. e3 w& tThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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2 V/ S% z# Z: V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。

6 x1 U4 p' W& K9 e8 O1 l: v5 mIt’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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6 K% ^5 t- ^7 Z* e1 H6 n7 Vlive up to one’s reputation

6 @- e2 \# d/ |2 \1 _! m8 X0 w0 F) Y9. 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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! h7 F. j9 Y1 v6 J0 h, H; t10. 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’.”

* x9 ~1 n+ z2 t; b  l  t; B画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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& y, r$ U  P* ~; o. B  [# @3 K- Z- F11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

' L( u6 C! p" C# `$ y3 q) I- S4 XTom 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.
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# i: Z4 L5 Z% c! a: l12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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# u- V1 k8 M; q/ r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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

; f  q; d1 O& W4 f9 I14. 江山易改，本性难移。

8 a1 ?0 T( s  A7 `0 g( |5 wA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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! [0 n+ K- I3 A15. 吃一堑，长一智。

2 r% ?1 m) n1 T* k; _A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

0 w. F( E% r$ l* b16. “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。

3 F! J9 b) M/ m( Y- S, aTalk 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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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

, y/ V0 U# c% m' f2 ?17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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$ n) e; k& S, ^I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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% x2 ?! ]8 d' V- }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。

! K, @5 J+ ~' Y4 gThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

! ]" k$ d3 ~& l8 WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) w1 J  z1 D, q% Z" w+ e; ]+ J扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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5 a" @6 V3 [9 Y( I20. 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!
/ r, {4 c) p3 G9 A, W( \( Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗