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。

8 r/ q. u7 C2 z* aShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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9 I" ~# P0 Y7 @/ {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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4 f5 B& Q4 s$ X1 P  @& M( w动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

, C  x& d! }( _1 S动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

/ j% o  T. \) z5 q; j他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

' s$ `, m$ G* ^1 g: H9 K( i刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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' d0 [0 q. H) T6 o% H. a) y0 i2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) C$ A4 ^# M; lHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 D8 {8 O$ T" H+ U  u" y1 `# ]% s& J% a3. 十年树木，百年树人。

" y% H1 n- r" {( iIt 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。

He 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.
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2 R4 c& b" S! w8 h6 g' V" U* d( X) `5. 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.
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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.

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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3 m7 @) s# z3 U1 [# ~" s6. 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.

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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张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

/ P3 H1 y5 e9 ^/ R( n( 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;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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+ l0 I% w! j" {) r& L. E9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

, P0 u4 {4 ]2 e$ I: t  ?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.”

/ {. V  }3 X3 R" @2 \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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/ D, b; Z9 ^! ], l% \3 KHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

& q- ?4 D0 c5 A: p4 o  @0 k2 {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.

' X! K6 G" T* o' P- 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。

All good things must come to end.
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1 F8 P  S- T( g- G- y5 TAll 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。

6 N" S* I, j) u5 J2 F2 cWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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0 E6 j# D; b0 d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。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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, w% F) x3 q# E) P( {, tTalk 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.

1 {6 u( q3 ?. N  K; O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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

& t9 `8 M; t) ~5 kI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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  m7 X; T" R* ?9 n* ~. e( x, k18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

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.

; g9 z+ v+ R, |6 Q; `- D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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He 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

+ B$ i" i4 F  J: u! ?上周日中午你去大统华了吗