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.

8 [; V0 @; }1 }2 X: \She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

) ^2 M2 c4 p5 T' @! o. e+ W  f动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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: K. R" L% A9 T, Z4 u: a+ c/ l8 Y" w动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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+ v) Z+ ~( J- D+ U刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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4 \  \3 E* }, D* c2 L& ]' N2. 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.
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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 i, Y; [) ?* }* \refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 j) l8 P6 x* d& `  R( N6 }) {3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

- E6 ]' d( F" o! N4 g  U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

2 ^' B$ ~6 L; uHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

  v) s" w2 G7 g  }5 b. A1 f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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8 q/ l/ d. X' }- |. e5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

$ t" `( Z7 G. h. ?The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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: c7 R$ k1 F9 g" e6 B; bIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

+ S  L2 U* }# [5 J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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# p" R: U% w: ]. U2 I" X6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He 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。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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/ O; x# L9 B; _( s1 B9 M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。

0 }# Y; @; K8 xIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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8 j4 _9 r% r/ k2 {名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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3 \# }5 \" a  Sdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

4 q" z; d, y- S- O! _1 ~* [live up to one’s reputation
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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.”

" @) d% P" a! d8 u8 Z* Z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”。

0 S$ g6 Z9 T7 `4 w2 u* C, [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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- r* }  I. [+ E  K! k1 Y# p11. 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.

; l/ u; n$ @+ d; x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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* z" F0 g$ \* _All good things must come to end.

9 @, I4 }" V8 m. \All feasts must come to an end.
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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.

# |- D0 p5 [* f9 N# Z! }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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" {9 G( D! A5 C& |2 j: b) H; R! K扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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! W7 T6 e4 T9 I4 G( B" N. v- d14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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8 M& E4 T8 K2 S9 ?* uA leopard can’t change its spots.
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& }$ b# {* j8 b# u- N2 n. X: l江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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  U* h0 q% _: F- @8 R& YA 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。

# Z% l# q$ }- _( |' jTalk 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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6 d" D0 K# p' u- r; z! }9 [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.

4 s' q, ^6 a6 Q( O9 n" e6 l借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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: Y8 J( L- D- o4 y- V: c煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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$ @' a' V/ y0 r+ T17. 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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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。

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。

4 T5 `7 R& q7 NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

" s! z/ e* t1 Q2 ^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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1 [4 C) R% S/ P8 g20. 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