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。

* }4 O$ U) @4 Q" z, P" E$ u# c$ iShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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+ Y3 z3 w- L. sShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

1 k' z( n$ G, N2 V. L, }7 ~动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

0 t9 v1 I0 a5 ?3 I/ `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.

9 T" t$ Y, s2 S9 A% q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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 Q9 i* F7 j- o9 L不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

& D* U! a  E2 prefuse to give up until all hope is gone

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。
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8 O+ t* e' m" M# p% GHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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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! }! @  j" u& D) n3 m8 J" E, L5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

9 B1 M( y1 W1 L; h( ~& gThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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" i* [- y; l" D4 n' V9 {If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 n9 O4 O2 ]5 l) z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.

4 C8 v% U( C  F9 Q6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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/ V. l* H/ ^8 i/ h  VHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7 _% ?/ w. L. z& m7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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: f/ L' T% p, y! [) A' J! Y: A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。

7 N- F9 K* T) O1 M$ XIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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# a' n8 S% C$ N名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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; G6 ?; C6 w# I: a. z) @deserve the reputation one enjoys;

9 y) D- [$ c1 ^live up to one’s reputation
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! [! [6 t1 s3 l. r: f7 |- F9. 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.”

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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He 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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+ P! S! V; o6 S* T  Y; T8 G: I11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

All 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.

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.

# w0 V/ }: @7 m. f5 u扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

8 X  G# M" P4 ~) T  I14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

7 }$ ]9 ~1 H6 u! K" Z江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

! `- X/ q0 F! F: G3 g15. 吃一堑，长一智。

% k  d1 v$ f/ {; D( YA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

* Y& n; q- }+ Y( X" W16. “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。

! E5 Y7 }+ f3 x, P" }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.

. G6 e+ F* s6 W) p8 k1 A0 }5 B" D; o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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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, a# L" [& v9 o' W9 r# y# 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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8 a+ d1 t" [9 b18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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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5 A/ ^; F; A% n6 |5 w19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

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.

  I% `+ Z8 W/ R! i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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
4 C/ C( c# \, w% ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗