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.

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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0 C5 f8 \* B% X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
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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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2. 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;

) p, z2 q4 _8 u7 ^  z4 T; @0 w5 O* Orefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

8 S$ V8 S* v1 q# V9 |4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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8 X; v2 A  I4 i4 F+ O2 sHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

( h- w- L" `" A* m  @石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

+ a5 k1 }- i  K8 M5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

' V$ [5 i8 w- f  D, LThe 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.

. ]7 S8 T+ p3 PIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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% }, z4 ~5 Z$ h5 K3 ~4 W, ~, V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.

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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, }0 `# U% S3 ~" lHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

" K/ \* `! w, X$ w: X+ H: n/ Z+ EThis 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.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

; S! p+ E' d& p. \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

' @) x' @4 B# \8 V$ g( g0 ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

0 s( \, Q; T7 E, S6 u& Klive up to one’s reputation

1 Z+ m6 `- K  p4 h0 I! }: E0 n9. 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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, b  M6 r  R' B天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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0 H% |  [/ a" ~5 a( x. M10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

) k/ M5 G/ t9 z1 E5 [+ oHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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. L5 U1 W+ q# f  H. `; i画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

0 l: W  }! w  k' P11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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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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. M% ~) f' |: q, t) G1 \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。
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All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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5 _' ^# F5 G; Q& P  u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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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0 c0 C8 f9 D8 V; j4 nWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

! k" s# O9 V6 @2 t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.
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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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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。
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8 b4 p0 `3 |7 {+ CTalk 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.

& o  _5 y/ d9 J; R3 Z, 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.

+ q6 u0 c' ]; D. M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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

. o6 O4 S2 H; U5 Z8 F% z8 q哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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8 N7 B; G: O2 Z% a! E) S18. 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

2 c5 u+ W, G4 }! y3 i19. 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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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. _; g$ [) B8 J5 i+ T5 HHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
- O9 X  P! I( z' mbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗