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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, F6 k& r1 E2 [* N) K1 F* WShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

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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1 C) Q; T9 z' i* [) o2 w/ @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.

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。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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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6 b! A# y& o) @3 V8 ?It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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  t. @1 M/ N! ]0 }/ X4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

  {6 o2 T' U2 C. c2 `& eHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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' c0 O& @, K9 {" p: [石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

3 k/ z9 K( C9 P" T5 lThe 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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4 B5 g" a& j  z) s( wIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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.

: {3 L5 K0 \" d8 X7 h8 j6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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# w6 ^* Z* e' M6 d: BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) n. N/ s" H- q' L0 s1 W! x7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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. a$ t/ U$ b, D! C$ yThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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& F  H1 x8 J* b' y& ]* G6 F1 ^It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

, |. a5 V" N0 N# r1 x9 h4 Q7 f名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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7 t" A+ u4 C+ zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

: N/ S3 K6 `* J8 m: E2 g$ v* M9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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! t; |% b: D6 d4 a5 }: |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.
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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’.”
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( ]( q" V" S$ G' d5 ]* y, w1 p画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

* B; b4 e2 a9 s7 {7 D$ N& A11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

8 k5 F9 A9 V; D( x- x: }Tom 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.

; W" m5 g! i( g  q! V# z: H% d8 z/ P$ j12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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5 f! P0 c, z. i: j7 _  g3 TAll good things must come to end.
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7 a$ x! ^# T9 AAll 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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- {+ y. y/ O1 c( d" @- e13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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. T- y$ h9 d9 F% _# G3 {With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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* v) W& T1 E! x& s' O5 i- Y4 x1 q, f14. 江山易改，本性难移。

# u3 c8 E9 y% q) u1 ]% WA leopard can’t change its spots.

! R& [; M# {* W# M; B& F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。

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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! i# g. d$ T7 i8 O0 ]& J' A0 R) ITalk 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.

4 K  e: S2 Z9 s3 h* {7 S3 u煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 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.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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$ `* I; f% U, t7 `- \# B19. 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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* f. T. V& `5 R7 |, r* cThe 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.

2 c* m8 N( y& ?- s3 g扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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% _, ~1 v" Y0 {5 j& k) O, A4 |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。

1 w* i4 i( {5 ]; Y7 `He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
* b) `( n' U( [* I+ u# l2 abillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗