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.

  Y" x$ B0 h9 J' o- u/ |5 NShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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) V2 Q3 d8 L8 S2 m/ [) @8 `动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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8 U0 J* |7 O6 z. T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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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* n2 _7 V8 }7 W7 u) lHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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6 x9 A+ r1 ]* r; C4 ~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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4 K- v! s- Q( p4 ~# u) Y8 f  ~; v3 }9 grefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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9 z& s2 I! ]6 N: U: b( x3. 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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$ h0 z  Y3 m! C6 X4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

! Y2 F+ T' H9 ~% B# p$ p5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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' h5 u6 J6 y4 r4 AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

: c% O( l" w2 Z8 c! U$ h  BThe 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.

# L- _* ~) N3 S* D7 E$ n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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4 ]5 }& x* x* @! |& }# Y: G7 W6. 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.

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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5 L, J! L: ^! n+ O! `" f张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
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5 m2 O8 |9 s# o$ \/ v" q8. 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.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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7 M) `+ u, w2 z9 [/ j, W3 Cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

: w' u$ t' Z% T. Z1 B9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

# q2 n; t2 \$ ]2 J2 kMy 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.”
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8 c1 E- t8 h, 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”。

0 h5 H( G/ B3 F* j: aHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

: `5 H2 l8 u  k( L9 _& L/ F画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

% C/ a/ {  I$ K11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

* R) f9 Y/ k. G, C- U; ETom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
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# G, o/ l7 m" j" q% g& |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。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

5 ]3 L) i+ n6 e' H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.

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.
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8 |9 R2 Q" G7 j0 q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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" v" b0 t1 C2 y+ w3 M& }14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

3 E/ L% Q* ]2 B4 b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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" R' e$ g; n: \& N% N1 Q4 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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% @" T7 d, z7 ~  n8 m5 aTalk 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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* {0 C* i( g9 d# n2 O3 X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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9 T  Y7 z8 s- `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- O, d9 `+ Y$ g' t& n6 vI 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

" F- a7 D% S2 [7 E18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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4 |# @( \$ B2 X* V  I$ `/ IHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

1 d% |+ P0 ?# p. \" S% h胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 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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) V& u- L" g- W2 w- MThe 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

$ t& a4 v( Q( G  z20. 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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; I# n! Z; E2 Y2 \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