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。

2 M1 s, l% V! R! ?5 fShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

9 B4 v5 J/ U' A3 A# |$ sShe 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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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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) T2 ~6 A; S+ j& u5 g: X动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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* _  f3 D& ~4 O7 {; e8 a7 I3 n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
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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.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

# n' U& A% a9 g3 [' m# B' [3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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  R2 P% e6 d6 c3 [It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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: w; v$ z. V$ R4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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8 Z# S4 u: ]4 \/ ~! A' x7 c+ LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

- P3 e# u! {$ q) x1 m8 k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。
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$ ^! l# y& F& D3 T4 ~0 w& kThe 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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/ ]! n: u# V0 ~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.

  |6 X; A" ?9 u$ [- O! t2 s. S6. 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.

& U$ Q- b, b3 ?8 p( r" u9 O; R; o7. 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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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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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.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

  G! Q$ F; A( O& t, c# }; _live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.

! X  R, P0 A  e10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

! e3 V2 |& I6 t# J- j8 X! D- MAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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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. k- b& i, w0 L# D6 T2 P+ m7 O4 j13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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# A! c) s% c+ c7 s0 N16. “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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$ G7 n' D6 \: x: Q( x( tTalk 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.
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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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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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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. Q: r: M! d- H18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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8 l; N$ ~! D' u' gHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

+ a3 s$ ?& N- e# X$ H- w, W+ X胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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9 D4 x7 J. u. ?: m0 h3 k19. 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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4 @2 X/ W! x( X0 X- u! H1 tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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1 U& S. A8 d$ L扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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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5 P; J1 ~; I7 K* D4 D3 J- CHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
" F$ l0 f% G! e- n' rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

7 u5 ]1 C8 t$ K7 Q7 I上周日中午你去大统华了吗