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。

/ d' P. {9 ]; j$ N( ^She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

  m5 Y: h) r: n5 _3 JShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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# s9 s$ g" b" |9 s+ t0 h2 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

3 B6 g8 h) E# w9 L1 y! E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

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.

% R" J! v! B9 u# V. ?2 w不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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2 ?5 }% M5 j- |1 {( d; S1 R, iIt 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。

$ p* ^. L8 e! _- `5 i( `, KHe 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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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* ?; j7 `8 `5 r# W/ fThe 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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1 Q  p# Q# s1 s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。

8 _' M+ C3 z, {( p9 l* f! H! d( ]3 ]# y" oHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

7 R8 e0 v) q$ ~9 Q  M, GThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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6 X$ n4 }  |2 [0 G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。

6 B4 M8 f( y/ Z: a' F" sIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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$ m3 Q/ H5 {$ X: B4 k4 ideserve 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。”

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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

; x4 D7 K' Y' \3 j10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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6 L9 V; E0 o9 w6 }  O* jTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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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& ?, n. l) q8 e1 p  W: o% K# l! G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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# L0 y2 k6 d! K1 j; TAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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9 o9 G) E/ y3 a* p* S6 L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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# m: m) X( U. \4 D6 j+ w13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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8 A9 }# d2 g; }% Y+ |With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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+ p* {2 y2 y' b' w: j8 C扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

& j. o: W0 C/ H! N& a9 e  D, W4 T14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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1 j# @+ j4 F8 e0 n+ O5 @/ uA 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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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9 x( r# `! Q4 z, HTalk 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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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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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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. [8 E: m4 @" n9 t4 s( I* K# G17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

) @4 v: ?! e' [7 @I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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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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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

: G9 q  I* T6 m" y" t) b: gThe 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.
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; s) q8 e4 E& I2 y7 h! _/ @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。
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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