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  U4 u1 h: xShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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1 |6 y- c) [" q2 Q2 u动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

) n' `! ^1 Z% r/ }# i动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

( y* N* G* C. Q, e# O1 \' ^他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! G8 W% D) D5 P4 U- o/ s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.

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

6 n" b- Z3 G3 e$ k3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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& B9 B: ^- I0 I! ]It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

5 A" n8 l. ?. Y2 M' _* G1 `5 _: K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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/ J, C- m9 H: g5 ~% c# h) p5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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! G$ x3 @6 z! _  U( I! o3 nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 y6 m: z8 b4 Y: ]) v* YThe 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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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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& W7 p$ v/ P. Y7 \6. 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.

4 {: I* F- K" Q; n7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

* F1 A) M) C- b& J+ U+ oThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

7 S" }$ l" n: Y4 P# w7 Z* h0 O& T$ J8 n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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3 ~- t8 H; l; x! a$ K& r8. 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;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

$ n; ]) c3 ^+ R& n* W9 ^live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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6 y1 V# r/ {) Z' q" E5 [0 ]" V! sMy 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.”

* N0 P( P! F6 x% E2 S5 z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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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, b% e5 p' r* j. V+ T* l11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

% n+ b; W1 g$ X  H' gTom 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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6 \6 G  B& o' K& d; m' 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。
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1 w% O; a5 C8 ?) s' nAll good things must come to end.

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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) k6 o. W0 r0 l5 v; B13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

! ~! T5 m+ _7 E$ pWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

# F  R2 l: y2 G0 K2 Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

7 I0 k9 U1 m/ D& ?8 u& D$ @) N6 g14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

( S0 A) Y9 b; \4 n) ~- c# r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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! B- w/ b: @3 v3 Z% I15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

/ ^6 `% @6 M4 V16. “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.

! z2 @  w$ I+ _  X3 N9 O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.

9 s; v* f0 Z+ v& d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。

* h& i1 p" u' G! J2 ?8 X9 F! iI 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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

/ Y* D: \" @+ P- L& `3 f6 {He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。
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7 w+ W% L+ X7 CThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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' t8 X* C! ~; g% G9 t6 I9 {2 @  ~" @; wThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

! z" c8 x$ T7 Y% o9 _% s* G/ c/ Z* VHe 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