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

% U+ b$ V. W. }8 ?# B) t动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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+ s" Q6 y3 r2 Y6 b: T, W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

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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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6 k$ @% T- R( L: o+ C不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

% m4 n' N5 K( X1 H" Xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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6 J* t9 T! W8 K; F3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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" r2 ?$ C* `6 tIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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$ C( p4 L" l; Z) Y0 E, j- U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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1 t2 |1 |% y! f2 v! U. F( p# kHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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, H2 n) s8 K! `  Q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。

6 G/ r( @) J$ [The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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2 Q5 g* u  I' r+ e# TThe 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.

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。

7 g' I5 i9 x- b0 _; Z: FHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

& F6 g, w8 E$ {This 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.
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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.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

& d1 x5 e6 i* i5 e( Fdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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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7 M1 u! ?$ |/ r7 f& A/ PMy 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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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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

9 Y6 c# `. c( ~  `2 m- r11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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5 Q! Z! B2 `0 L* T+ K+ c0 WTom 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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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.

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.
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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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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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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- w' Q' v* M: Q+ J1 p14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

; i9 c) J2 i5 c: 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.

0 v9 ~+ |% {7 I* V$ D15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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$ p- Z  @! ^! VA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

) j2 d# E+ D& s  s16. “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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% u9 r4 L, q0 I  j3 ]: L( w) o  R/ W" yTalk 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.

& E0 N- f8 |: W# L# H1 R0 J* I5 r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 I1 {6 ?+ q; r0 N; l1 ^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。

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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% B) [$ I% V+ d- `, {18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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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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0 z' J  _/ p2 ^  g/ b& n8 E19. 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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: r; w% F* h" z' gThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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4 N" g9 ~) u, v  u/ ]The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

( n5 x. q$ t6 v  t20. 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!
, b. g3 u* |7 Q2 t7 G0 d: _4 O6 mbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) m4 d9 e6 \8 u/ C& X$ j5 B上周日中午你去大统华了吗