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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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

4 M! P3 b7 o2 Z4 |  C' K他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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1 D( w) p& C' B# R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

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;

$ _! S9 V- {' }refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

+ h8 M/ h- T+ ~  Y6 _) V0 j5 K! LIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

2 k  b( t/ p$ `/ F4 o, g* W& T+ M4. 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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  C2 E/ x6 z1 K$ [石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

. z& u3 h' N( _8 b' T5. 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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- H0 d, }! \& e6 N/ {) H0 k8 ]$ _: @The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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+ W+ z5 [' O9 E/ e. }5 _  r) 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.

7 c& j4 B! D( t" _+ L) P6. 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。

0 K5 o, P. N# t0 FThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。

) A* i4 ]# ~# _  \. qIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

0 s9 v! r, w+ q4 K) q3 X( h名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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. r& Z; O& T+ B4 D2 e9 w( [1 E1 M3 o- d9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

1 O- h0 X  q' H- SMy 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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' Q' Y5 f/ V3 b, P! c: T, M9 P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”。

+ Y4 P9 ^0 O" z9 F5 w; sHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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, B: e# h) C( s6 j: \5 x4 O  H画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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( I/ Y5 N6 l7 f7 P0 g' M% a# cTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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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) B1 v$ i. P/ k3 D& J1 `12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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+ X8 J1 P4 a6 h$ J1 s+ UAll feasts must come to an end.

& l. ~  N! `- g" M9 x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.

  J: V2 C9 |. r  k5 ~( {  s7 Z. Z13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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' m1 U8 `# v- t; ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

8 I' l5 z5 R) V' d! P5 p2 }扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

" |. G1 a. V: D/ i4 q+ c* P14. 江山易改，本性难移。

9 i* ^7 T3 n! v4 A5 T; ~; U4 `A leopard can’t change its spots.

/ B6 U7 \! A1 G7 j  z$ D! q江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

" J5 D- P: _+ g/ q. v15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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: c  d* J. ~6 R& r0 U- [$ FA 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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  d3 S: p4 H% i1 y0 s! `9 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.
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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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

- \  L/ ]* x- N& t3 a8 U; [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

; V6 n0 g* a- V# r+ Z: ~' @! Y/ ?  j: U18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

; A( C( s5 A9 h: s+ |He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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$ b$ }7 s& U, w! {' |1 Y胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, e9 z6 m$ L1 V3 N/ b8 M19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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  S3 e: S+ E# R4 nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
5 q+ H8 a5 A5 ^) w% n8 sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗