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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* `; M2 Y& j3 V: p, JShe 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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

' K; E& a. a/ G0 s4 J4 u他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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+ R3 K2 \5 V. ~. O! Q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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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.
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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

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.
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) P  u2 q. W& x5 R! S( Q) ?4. 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.

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。

9 C9 {. I2 `. T: K3 t7 X. IThe 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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If 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.

. W- `8 l) `, `: a; G6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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& E* C8 u) l, e1 s, F- {: Q! c' {. vHe 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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3 V' w% V! c$ z4 ZThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

1 L$ e" ~4 N) ^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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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9 z) G/ P/ H: _$ Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

8 T: Y- h' w5 klive 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。”

; o3 ^7 [# n2 {4 LMy 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.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

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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% d' L1 b7 K& h2 A0 R7 F11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

6 o* H" n+ T& kTom 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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" E" f$ }8 C$ f  O12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

7 p, w" l8 m6 Z3 D1 h$ u5 ^- oAll good things must come to end.

9 z! }" g/ P# K$ dAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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2 o3 R1 e) }. `& EWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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0 H# Q7 P, p1 H: `9 @, S5 E4 ]扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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.

  ]/ p8 v: P# h8 R6 C9 X2 f15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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2 h- y5 s" r5 ^" M# H$ TA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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4 E' y; v$ v6 J; X16. “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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+ t! n* P8 Y! uTalk 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.

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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6 d1 t* p/ d! E- k) [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

1 I. f. p6 b# f8 `% \& UI 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

$ w. _" `, ~. R  x& e18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  ]# D6 d& z+ _2 B0 E4 _  f胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

* ~! A/ u1 A4 F+ R& D19. 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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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.

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