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.

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

9 W# i: Z8 u4 N- U& ~) ~动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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' G9 N: F& i* D  m8 K* H2 |+ L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
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, F4 I* y# `" M% w. X7 J7 @0 Y5 W2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

# t& x9 ~! V. J, qHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 |8 }& d* _: j9 g5 |" 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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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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4 @( w+ T% i) O# X- p' F9 y8 LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

. h5 b# t2 V+ Z) Y3 Z4 b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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: n' g! F( F* P, ?" H5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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* {6 b4 A6 w" v1 |0 G) B, HThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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; x' \5 [$ n& v6 M+ iIf 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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/ y0 V2 B) f3 ?6 S6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

9 a/ f( f- }7 O" eHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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" u: y- n8 p3 q( l, _7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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( d8 U" d2 S1 Z* P8. 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;

6 V( k2 F, e; w  E. \+ Ldeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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8 O: j$ p5 K% Y. mlive up to one’s reputation

* t. h6 f9 `; \2 @* K  U9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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0 I' n, n5 `4 p! X% R! rMy 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.”

' P3 Z$ h& |; ?* Y& d; s# k: Q9 M) z天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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; ]* M) g' ]* D: D; b/ b10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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- U9 ^1 k& c% O7 `1 i& P+ GHe 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.
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' G' T# ^+ m9 s5 J7 r) ], e11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

3 I7 o+ S6 m, z+ h/ BTom 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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% i: O/ E9 h+ L3 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.

  ~+ a5 D% F+ D! @4 B12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

2 r; E  f7 m- @5 fAll feasts must come to an end.

# {- f0 @, G2 K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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1 }7 q- k9 O; z5 d$ y* J0 N13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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. I3 h; H1 B/ @& s( zWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

$ r3 P, v+ R  Q# N2 W% h扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

; N  c% M6 P5 b3 b8 y14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

7 I+ t3 y: K- `: v: \3 y3 z3 E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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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! {* {" @! ~9 ^" J- ^$ }0 T16. “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。

3 q9 ?" ~3 o2 Q/ STalk 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.
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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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" g! w. @) P3 J5 @. F- _" r1 I. T17. 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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; x% Y8 R% T) f哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

  l0 q# @7 j1 |4 k! Y9 P: I18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

+ p/ D$ `6 c! O( N) e5 HHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

1 L) [" P: O6 \' P胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

" I$ c. M/ Q( l2 Y  h19. 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

/ k1 R$ ]! e) s$ P扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 q6 [0 m9 C  \# m- R8 T9 h5 c! J( 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
. t  n  G; P/ P/ M. C+ J1 Cbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

' H- b) F7 ?6 o* u2 B上周日中午你去大统华了吗