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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3 N. @" d+ ^  Q0 z( R; v# D( p/ x! }She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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( M) W) v! n% L- d6 h# {& mShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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. c. L2 P& t# C/ [7 t' L7 k% Y: |7 X动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

" r! Z3 \+ z! g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.

9 l4 @3 ]( ^8 |4 Y5 D* Z$ L刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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7 s4 ?9 ^- M1 `2 q+ r3 HHe 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;

4 T( n. A, W$ A/ Wrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 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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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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0 U! u3 B$ L" n) `5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

8 n/ L6 h& P: }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.

$ {- X. U" x- c" R& R1 }If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

4 X/ g$ i7 L4 S7 G9 O9 z5 ^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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+ c  w5 d7 ?/ IHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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+ T8 R- r& [8 n6 `+ P, x, M7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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* I& E6 F" h0 c. U- I% s0 ~1 UThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

3 z3 A. d' f9 \4 W% a( m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。

1 {  w" E* W% `* o: Q+ ^It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

4 J1 Z- t" B5 n名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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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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.”

0 L) s+ a( g$ Z) X  O/ `. ?天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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* ]* @& v/ K6 l10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

. p$ b( [4 l( B: hHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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, a3 z2 _% c+ \; w/ n  ^画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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: t" ~* P5 A' d0 G8 z& [3 L" v11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

6 k+ g# g' J9 {3 _! n/ ~% PTom 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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

4 g, q% J$ N* |/ E" V! oAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

0 B0 l# r" B; _; R9 o4 i0 x, Q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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6 R$ O/ [) F; N3 G13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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1 w5 h2 w+ _; W  ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

3 K0 m5 j2 E$ T; a+ _, B& X14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.

' b5 k. z3 j1 z4 A. C15. 吃一堑，长一智。

1 T8 F4 K! H2 o: A, l! PA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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) S* }9 `+ x/ H6 e) }5 u16. “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.

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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7 H. @, @+ B- O0 g' e, X# I: q' K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

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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

! y/ h' m1 d3 b: W* J18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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9 Q. g( _, `8 V/ P+ Z" XHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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- l6 P; S$ z7 J7 k3 ~% Q. ~胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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: c" V! G% `1 x6 h- A2 y( s19. 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.

8 K! U) t" X* f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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, M7 ?( ~9 H+ K( H9 x+ b8 g# NHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) o$ b7 J8 Q% i9 I) |9 G+ ^billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

# x- T# W" P2 s5 m4 [$ l% x上周日中午你去大统华了吗