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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# e/ B: k7 ?1 j; @9 g) pShe 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.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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% ^- i7 E" P0 D- j2 }动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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# `% C/ V3 F( v9 q, Z: c% d动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

' ^' w+ R+ k, h$ k/ x他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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3 h  V! q8 L' Q. S" }刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

8 j& c0 J! }3 J# H# M; r2. 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
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0 c& o/ p# X  }/ b! J; a, X9 X; Y0 t' L3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4 A- s7 Z8 P5 C/ T4 y& M2 M. q4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He 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。

' O3 S9 n5 l2 S5 z" K7 I& rThe 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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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- f" V8 `8 @1 u/ {3 o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.

/ h9 ]: D5 F: Q7 i9 l, 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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1 g: J# O& S% A  z1 BHe 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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6 ~; q  o1 ^  k, r* T; W# l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 p; @$ Q/ Z3 b9 @It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

9 T" c+ n  h; ~4 |7 ^" N名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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. _9 v  Q6 C* i0 e3 w1 ?, {live up to one’s reputation

" a" Z' z* `% K' v& q& [9 s, v9. 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.”

0 t, N8 O/ X: U& s7 K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”。

2 o: ~5 u9 B' wHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

$ N) u9 r- E7 ]2 ]( d1 |1 L画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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' j( X; W6 J" @# h* p8 u11. 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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

' J* _9 W  g% R7 q- U8 V) M. J" kAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

% c7 u3 y2 i! _5 ^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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  \& ~2 D9 L4 c4 r0 W( {5 J3 M* D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.

$ a, I& F" h8 Q江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

& [9 d7 z! w' c; R4 W. D- t16. “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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" x! O) n) O* m% h, T9 RTalk 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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, Z: L  Z# t1 T: |: \9 s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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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) S8 S) u3 N# D+ y! Z3 ~哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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9 h+ V! Z2 d0 _2 }18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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7 A$ |' }3 G4 O& S2 @, gHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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9 M! {; u7 f& E; ]; N- P1 N- o4 c胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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) M* m9 W" |* h* m" ^1 r3 s( d, t19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

# ?7 \( T. J- G+ p, sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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/ ~- y, S4 t- vThe 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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2 _7 f% m+ A) g6 ^$ T0 y9 ?: i20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

! o4 [% R- ]8 y; \5 Y上周日中午你去大统华了吗