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.
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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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/ ?& k/ U& T% a  n8 ^* K动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

0 A' q, r, p1 s9 {动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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" o- M" F& \+ \2 Q# I+ r9 m4 }他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

1 P( t+ s+ [' oHe 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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6 L5 f+ g: n: x4 E/ drefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

: \7 P8 G+ C( }0 N% a6 {$ x5 i4. 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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# W+ T5 f5 X% n1 u! G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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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6 p; l# R( a' f( p9 J5 qIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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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$ L$ C$ `8 |* c6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

$ Z/ S& }( F- \: |* C) o- LHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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- B' d; u! L* h* K$ v7. 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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7 r1 U+ Z# w# d/ o: o+ p2 M' A. @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.
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- o1 p' d' O6 d* F7 ~3 X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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4 R: t3 ?1 O" h/ m) n- glive 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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8 }% N" m# Z' HHe 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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. G+ P& @& V* t" _' o0 |/ V11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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- B  I9 T+ i" E4 J) wTom 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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) J. G8 `0 [5 X2 i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.

/ X& w  O5 @& ^$ _6 l" M12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

4 j% o/ a: f* oAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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% C" I9 J- |# a: c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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0 \) E6 l% P; i+ e, U9 j13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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8 ~$ R/ y( [, b, G扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

: w* o( z: e3 }+ k# @1 X8 F' O( s; XA leopard can’t change its spots.
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& g# `. K* }3 }  |# [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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+ k: C* T: f& y; j# i/ C15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

4 J: a( F% G8 I6 |- ~% b16. “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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5 ?# l# e  o! n' v6 j4 rTalk 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.

& |, s" Z- K0 [借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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2 H4 v. ^( x0 |! E: ^- q7 i煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

% B1 l# I9 Q; A% i0 z* F17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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5 d9 U* [) j; h% p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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) \9 W( }$ k/ m, D  m( x% w7 WHe 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
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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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  I. r' ?: R- T; W/ {& b$ bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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) b6 m! Z# a0 {" oThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

! l. j6 T/ A# T1 l扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) A5 G) G& p, y& m: L3 C: K5 m20. 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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* r, ]. q2 t! K% B: M# P, x8 \He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 d1 h9 K: d& m$ }* o9 a2 Ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

( `3 q# V' D3 [1 V# ]: M3 T上周日中午你去大统华了吗