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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+ Z1 j& @6 A3 d) ]1 r7 |4 n2 `She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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  \4 E/ d0 S4 z6 f) T+ _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

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

. Q4 e- A( }% n! t& A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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

* C7 f9 s+ m0 Y0 u5 j4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

: K6 I; L% Y& F9 u& m) S8 q7 c- NHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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. f9 T) F4 f( X9 r6 p* s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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& q- e9 W" L% W$ c" A4 W3 Z1 nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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, S) A7 L( G& ~  ~9 QThe 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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& ?" q- O3 E% h# x& A4 `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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0 M$ w* l7 q  D  b6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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& `7 `. S0 H: e1 C+ c; U1 N& _" jHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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/ [4 W0 i1 }* F  {2 {* R7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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  w0 Q  }6 u: W2 dThis 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.
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7 @  T! K( F/ w4 ?- g名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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4 l$ t& g( q# r, J; K- W; M0 R9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

" ~$ v- ?$ k) Q+ wMy 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.

* L# {2 K. ?0 f8 ]* r10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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% E$ M2 c! L/ Z4 H4 a1 cHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

6 x& f0 C4 Z% E) A* ?画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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: A7 M( H% |- Q1 |: H0 e4 J+ z( _11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

7 f+ c0 i. I# f: w0 D0 k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.

0 r  p$ V$ {/ E+ J; n2 p" a8 w12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

' B$ C; _: y0 d0 w* a# X, k8 uAll feasts must come to an end.

( e8 G' b) A# }; i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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3 u. b  s8 o( L- e6 T0 v0 i13. 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.

- V. ]2 ], h% @/ s. {扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

' X) q# F% F2 O  }. ?* J1 a* V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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9 o9 I) h# r$ s, ~- t  N15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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. q0 C. C  i/ d: nA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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! a% O2 c# ^& }9 L) x16. “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。

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.

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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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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0 T5 B, B% X3 V8 |# A0 u+ m17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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) j% E4 J: ?' ?8 k6 BI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

! i. A' P& ]  v* w+ o哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

1 R' w. ~' ^- A# z. T. L" r胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

1 T  ?2 R0 K: V: X5 w  s; MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

% ^! g& a/ @9 p) k7 z# W2 eThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

6 e" }4 {( \/ M$ z' ~" q扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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) V! R0 |4 Y: a. g3 [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!
* u& R8 u8 o8 Q' @; C  Ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗