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 {% x5 M7 D6 x动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

% c: h( [  t( q# Q5 K5 U动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

- e* K+ t2 d! [* z4 A: q9 Z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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6 u7 a! ^- s7 t# o$ @: t2. 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.
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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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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: y9 ^1 ~7 U# m5 ^It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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. O- s% I2 d) V1 h4. 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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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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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% K; e2 `( _9 LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

( t7 `, t4 @: ?" S7 x% \- q/ b* PThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 T# Z+ {( ^* F" ?' N( f4 _If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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; x8 w5 R, q* {4 C7 F9 v$ |9 T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。

: I/ n3 L9 l' r( E) L& Z+ @/ `; XHe 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.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" G( q- V1 P2 s7 ^* x( ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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, P9 t/ Y4 ]. X7 ^* o# H4 odeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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  _- g  f4 e: P' _) _live up to one’s reputation

" R9 g) K# E' V5 V' \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.”

1 m9 @' e( \+ j0 r% ~1 _天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

8 v# M8 s2 o, J$ P" @: @$ ~+ v- O10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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) a5 p) K* x+ {5 ?3 ^He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

( ]+ U8 R! p. I画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) ]+ w$ X+ }* o, U) K, N11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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) f3 c3 A5 r: ?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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+ }7 l4 h% X  n- g' e% _. Z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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9 n2 Z8 b0 ]' F% H$ P+ |( a3 r, u" U12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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: R/ s: Z! {; [9 ZAll good things must come to end.
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: s$ k! c8 m  P! ]% yAll feasts must come to an end.

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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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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! k, M* [+ j# d' {* I扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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* L0 C% {; g$ P( L1 |14. 江山易改，本性难移。

4 s' J- Z0 n2 ^1 g# A! oA leopard can’t change its spots.

5 k0 v5 T) {4 q5 T; A" m2 p1 o江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

, h8 D4 W+ \1 b& b15. 吃一堑，长一智。

# H+ Q$ [+ R. }A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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. M2 F7 G# p8 J9 n) ^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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* P) ^! j$ ]0 R( ]' I: q: A& XTalk 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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' m4 i# P5 f& k( O$ k/ P' C2 s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.

5 i" t* w* [' q; U8 C0 u借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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) j* Z0 ?8 _; ?5 u煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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+ K. F7 o% A0 K8 W6 K# H- g17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

7 S6 m$ {2 `  sI 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
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& q8 z8 N8 q5 e2 V" h9 BHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

3 {1 T- R6 X# J$ T, S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。

. s/ B. }8 i0 r( 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.

# s. X- v4 M# w0 S. b5 o# C* g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。

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

3 k5 m$ R2 O# d上周日中午你去大统华了吗