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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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4 b8 Z6 i1 }  b3 `) NShe 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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

5 q9 j0 ?1 u  k9 Q* Q  R5 r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。

0 c4 t& E0 x+ `+ s& q0 N/ KHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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0 c' M! e* r' i8 w: C+ j" |不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

* o& _: q( `) Q. O3 ^& p! nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, ~( x# O4 {; p% w; p% y( X0 |It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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! q4 }8 s9 x8 p* s4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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) W# c, G4 d& M/ \' ~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.

6 |% g- ^- u6 O; u0 n: q5. 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

, n6 ?0 W0 `$ mIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

- [+ e, ?' j' c, H5 y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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; h. J3 P1 x: v6 x+ _He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7 I6 b: k1 l/ O2 F7 d4 b7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

! O/ S- L! E- G$ h+ QThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

' h& F9 {7 Q; o/ d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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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4 C8 R1 W( [. F9 J6 N9 Kdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

4 i( s" G3 H6 W" }9 ~4 g( ~2 J3 F9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

2 b0 x! w) ?$ ~3 BMy 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.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

0 Z; Q4 a' g: I2 KHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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2 l3 l9 k% Q  ]! m% m( n11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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5 w9 D, c, O; R1 j3 `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.

% t' c: {" a. I* W+ R2 _12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  c# U2 C2 R  S% C1 ^" ?: p" r! PAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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7 ^, C7 k9 J3 w' c) N2 H4 k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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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8 c8 n) }( B! F) s3 ]- a5 H) ?With 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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& |% T8 _) Z. a% ^江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

, I( G4 t: q: A8 e/ w8 ^8 e7 \- B15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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2 N2 D2 z+ o* N0 ?3 @# ]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。

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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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+ y; c4 u0 q1 K+ l% Z) z$ M: A煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

1 H  B$ |; c1 a" x/ h17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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" K8 e. X# e+ t" x$ O7 X/ ?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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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# w# F$ n4 ?7 R5 @5 c# J" UHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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.

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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$ O6 H9 a( U' K( ]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。

$ ?" n# q+ v0 L# W2 SHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% e' e9 a) |$ K" R( F: a; r" Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

$ w+ Q5 G! g, w5 u上周日中午你去大统华了吗