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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

% W4 i" o7 g$ r$ S. a9 ]动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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! y  Z+ I. U' V  k. n8 f7 m0 ~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
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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

  b+ `# }5 _+ v$ i: T( I0 h8 t6 u2. 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.

9 |0 v( V$ Q: h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
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  t# Y4 ^- t; I) w. B6 N7 ]3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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4 N$ o9 T: K& D: F4 l( r9 yIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

9 c; E: @' o$ e# Y: ?& OHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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。

8 ]3 ]  `. N4 D6 d/ }6 uThe 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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

# s8 \- j) P! s' b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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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  L6 O# @! a  q, I: PHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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! f! m8 w& b% K# a7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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* A- j  s# \  Q8 jThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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。

) H+ N  y3 v2 Z% ~8 ?7 aIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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) E4 H& @7 ?4 E9 t, \0 c+ {live up to one’s reputation

3 ~/ w1 V( F3 L7 F( }; b9. 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.”

8 z" v0 X% [% `$ ?天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

$ e: `3 F; e9 d* z: _10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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  ?9 j! A) A4 a* R5 O! Q3 \He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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+ c% g  f1 P5 V" d' l% b! k0 i2 W画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

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.

! u. C( {* O. F$ I" L0 D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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: r: q/ J# R* w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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: N& G  }  ]3 i9 }0 QWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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8 q; T7 q+ q7 j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。

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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

, Q0 Z6 z1 a6 [( V+ ?# hA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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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.

$ k* M4 F+ @" M7 x7 h0 k; k0 m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.

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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0 y' G+ S0 ?* _I 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

; y- E/ l" f6 c% F$ `/ HHe 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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: n6 O+ t: P5 X) A9 F) F19. 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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* W+ ?# A. L7 q8 ]The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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0 T: J% L- K' c2 P  }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