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。

, u: z9 D$ f! _0 @, pShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She 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

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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, L1 a9 e) [& w! E刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

6 E& O" v0 p- E6 y9 k2. 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.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- d, [% N/ t9 sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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/ z' m/ h* J; _$ V+ s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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

) ?/ K9 g8 s+ x) a# G8 ^5 `5 LThe 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.
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% j2 w& ]) Q! B* I' I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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

, I, b( w/ N( M6 N. Q; E! E9 vThis 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.

) m0 o8 [) q; _% q* a9 N4 @  U+ T8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”
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2 F5 e( p: R. R9 @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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' J4 r! [1 E, y7 l5 j' f& I& W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”。

( `& R$ ?# |# x. pHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

8 j6 R) F* _) I" H) T画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

( q9 f9 m. l2 I- h* I  N7 p4 A11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

' G. X$ M6 u& [: }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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/ b! [+ B, ^  R12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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6 b9 [# H7 u: ~9 m$ mAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

7 U* q$ Y7 \4 j: g& G* m" R6 l' I7 d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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4 a, h# |5 L/ d& \6 J8 i( @13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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6 E, c2 N3 d; ]With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

1 b& z) Q; d& J6 J扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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/ A8 n  j! m  v$ R) J9 y) M& t2 Y$ O14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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7 L) a; V2 C6 @" i4 SA 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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6 z4 U' j& x4 P0 S1 h" [A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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+ n) Z& u) T6 q8 A4 w2 f: i16. “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。

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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8 B+ U) w0 l6 w8 M; v0 ]+ |( L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.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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$ K5 \  f7 Y: ]3 W" U17. 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
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1 M) `2 c# ^' A. C18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

$ C9 ]4 N6 N* S0 ^19. 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.

# u4 k! \7 u+ F8 [The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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/ g/ T5 V* \8 Y' \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。

4 ~  x( V2 u* R. B7 x5 e+ X" eHe 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

; g: o! z3 T4 M$ c, ^上周日中午你去大统华了吗