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。

6 N% U4 ^% O4 C, x  a9 cShe 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.

* n: ^5 }& }9 h& I动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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. E+ t6 c. Z! X9 ~. N; t4 @. e" S他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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; t) U7 B; k" z: \刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 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.

) v5 \: _% s0 N1 u. s- g/ j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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

, Y) k5 W# y! _" g: W5 d4 E0 M% V, j3. 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.

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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& ^; ?9 G7 G# ?石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

' K( |1 V3 E' {- [' a* w5. 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.

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.
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) ]; H$ d3 G, h7 n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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! T0 g* m1 g6 u3 [" {$ J+ r6 C. c& HHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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。

$ I! J$ v- c& B% a* F' BIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" E4 y  r, L1 Y, s名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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9 B# a  y" A1 j7 E8 U$ blive 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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/ H. C, u1 }. u$ o  Z0 ?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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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; M8 |& s% `1 e6 I, mHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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0 q. g* K+ n1 d& v5 z0 q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。

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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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。

3 Q( W1 ~' r% \2 M! {1 |All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

6 K+ l3 H3 ]* |8 T0 g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.

  a7 U+ y% N* `# \9 [. o13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 j  Z) |4 \1 k, R& K: I3 W/ w+ WWith 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.

2 [. @( }+ o) w+ j& {/ b: {# f- p14. 江山易改，本性难移。

% a9 @9 R6 i' cA leopard can’t change its spots.
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5 [; e  N; q7 f8 C( U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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) Z+ s5 K* j# ^4 a) ]6 A0 j, Q) {15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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" \1 w7 E3 D5 V( L' {A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

% P3 I- ]6 L0 E5 OTalk 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.

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.

1 e& C4 v& d/ N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
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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7 o& Q; n* m+ z& }9 pI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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3 Z) l8 |  c; L1 v3 d& p, L  R' V哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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: H5 s7 G; m+ }1 W# C  L; V18. 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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# O8 A7 k9 {/ y胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

3 K  P- F& i! m19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

. q5 o+ }% K/ J: ~The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 E2 e0 C0 A: }9 D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。

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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗