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.
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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
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

, ~! v* Y  L9 k) x" v; s他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

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.
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: ?1 h. C- Q* }# w! I* D1 {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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1 c2 @5 i: ~$ R- Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone

9 c: h/ T1 Y* O, O0 M( b( |3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- B6 v3 b) y( Y9 c, j7 r$ ~) aIt 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。

6 W: R5 }9 ?; |/ U; f9 LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The 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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7 r7 h& ?  r8 A( l2 J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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

: r. _4 D) ]: }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。
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% X" ]3 e) p% y/ a. F) r2 GThis 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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4 W% V; S8 u7 q, l9 o8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

: K5 A" g1 `4 T1 E) e# l  s- g. aIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

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。”

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

' h9 E6 s2 D1 C) {10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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! o' B6 S5 a5 VHe 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.

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.
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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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6 q! R  Z" p1 z1 _( |. O: r12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

( s. k. l/ P# s7 S3 e" O, Z4 vAll 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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7 z; ]+ ~8 A' E; }& N5 c3 j/ m13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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- G- t$ p+ h: J; f2 g* ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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  U) i5 K$ }' @& @! O7 o4 k+ D14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

0 K/ }' g7 d, R6 ]15. 吃一堑，长一智。

; s, D5 m: L  M3 j: ?9 s4 nA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

! C) K" h( d; a/ }9 n# z16. “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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" E2 a7 Q- m: P; K( [4 U+ a2 f  |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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

' Z4 T% O6 L; z. C/ @( jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

' B$ {+ g: l* O; r8 u3 ^8 P哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

8 ~) ]0 I  \6 D/ E2 q) ^18. 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
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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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- J- r- N( J* ^# E0 MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# B) C) m( f: AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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4 t5 S* _' y& n' U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。
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  M$ C( E8 a0 `* ~8 xHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% Q# W1 t1 S; E3 sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗