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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5 C3 }. O! @6 i9 z$ C7 PShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

6 P$ b8 f7 G1 }; UShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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+ [6 s* p$ W+ P动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

! @0 `; X0 Z5 K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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9 q4 ]# j! [  j& k- v" y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.
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1 r/ U/ G( d  ?" l" k3 m: [2 Z# }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
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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.
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- p; x. z( i# H6 t8 r! A+ u0 j) @4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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& U% }- y! G, t4 WHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

) @! j* ~7 _: k, x% j3 p3 f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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4 q) Z: R! W& O5 A; Y* O5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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, s% C1 x9 g4 _4 aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

3 C% ~% ]/ D. q6 iThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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" ~& w8 |. x, C# W! ]5 N9 P' D2 hIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He 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。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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4 q$ Y" {7 k' F( T, X" J9 b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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1 t5 G. N7 a& m% w8. 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;

5 {) P( q: O6 S3 X; o9 k; @live up to one’s reputation

" e" o/ ]& Y9 o" t% l$ D# D! Y. i0 a9. 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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

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.

8 h# \/ r. W+ V* J9 Q( m0 a- o6 S# b' B11. 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.
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, E; \1 W% E6 B8 c, N/ f) [% l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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5 \/ a- E9 u& A: y2 S9 j12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

/ `' h/ y6 j0 V4 ]All good things must come to end.

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。

/ Z! y, {3 K+ t# XWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

% o& I* z4 e  y, x9 t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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% i: L+ Q) z& y/ s: aA 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.

+ S; R5 S+ |( \7 X% h; T15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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16. “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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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.
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% ]2 E$ c! |  X3 v" k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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# ?! }8 s& _& m* v9 r17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 _) _/ h# \- c+ J5 z! y( SI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

2 b# X0 a9 J  f5 L哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

7 G- f& p- o; S& |' D! zHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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: O" s; M8 c) t) P- k  e9 P, g胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* B4 m* I4 o& |& V" J4 E5 u19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The 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.
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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。

4 [* x7 Y" C" T6 [; ~% h: kHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
2 V6 a: K& w+ ?% {8 W  v/ q7 r; J" Ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗