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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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.

6 F& m9 B. y7 U7 W$ P动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

/ u& s" }; P5 h, I, b- c" B动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

1 H9 n2 S6 E. L2 X2 ]- Y, N他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

. U' `- T: x- A, _) ]/ e, Z刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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+ u8 C6 I- k* V/ s- h6 z8 t  A2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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: ]7 @3 }9 r% Z, N6 L( ZHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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, R4 w. H0 S5 m5 }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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: l# `4 I# m  ~0 lrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

$ ^1 Q0 d/ g; a9 @( B2 FIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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. M0 I3 X, U* c! {He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

( Z* i+ Z  A5 e6 ?+ T& `1 S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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* `# v- T& c3 S7 g# T3 H3 {4 j5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

  k1 F3 v) U+ Z! jThe 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.

6 N7 M: e4 `. \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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+ h" \5 i5 D* ?9 f) n; g% Q7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 S* F* T- K8 P9 o) f, tThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

0 g4 q& a5 j# o$ ~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.

0 J; d  C) r! U- k+ j' r. k3 ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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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3 [1 }4 O. r0 ]' `7 s) s* @/ @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.”

; S9 b1 X- q* Q7 r) p3 L- J, {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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- l0 v" T% m% |$ Y4 R6 k0 o* KHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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5 E# s" m9 R4 a9 q1 R画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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- _# G0 j. E4 ]( T11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

! W0 _1 B& P1 E7 h' J' u* Q$ P9 j7 tTom 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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5 S! A% W/ [  u# }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。
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9 l4 R4 a% Z, i  j' z' |  @All 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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

( R; w$ j6 T6 F; u+ gWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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5 c* `: Q( C/ O# k2 B& j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.
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, B& S' H% S& N7 {4 Q8 P; ~1 n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。
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6 W: Q9 a' ]& ]6 w3 j! y" ?A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

; P3 k0 W2 }. _0 F  O16. “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。

$ E- X4 d6 U! G' E2 jTalk 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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0 _) W1 y' y% g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.

; {, z1 T" v, p1 i5 @5 U( P" K煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

' K: l$ W& P7 a, ?17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

3 W0 K. E: J0 u! ^0 dI 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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( w0 [2 E, ?5 l& {9 {' S18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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3 \5 ~) T9 C9 B  E" X& E) p扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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& [! ~  P  T( z2 R% UHe 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