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.

+ b; ^; ?- B0 y! i" w" d0 IShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

. g, @- {3 |+ ]; k( R8 k7 |% f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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' I; Q" i5 t8 q$ h/ |# s! x动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

9 v) t9 N9 a! K! O1 q* r3 d动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

$ f/ ~8 Y6 q# E( P  A他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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5 [) I  _$ H1 L) x* V. b" X+ @刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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3 i0 G0 s3 Y* W( y# ]2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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/ L: S& S7 W0 QHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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$ |1 x$ W# M) X! t4 J. U6 W8 w不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

- \0 f& C  T" E) {- W! qrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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, d* k8 E/ F4 F4 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。

) T0 }2 d9 t6 P/ h0 @He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

) ^6 [$ u$ _: r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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. G- j/ {  r2 w+ G6 i( |" `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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2 y2 G$ ^& e& L+ O7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

3 Q9 V% b" D# |& q+ f7 r8 D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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6 `& j4 G8 {+ jIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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, B5 t  }5 I8 x6 }" z# S8 Z名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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. W4 U4 b9 ^/ d  Z7 P" B) }5 Ylive 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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7 W# ~1 X# d8 l) l0 eMy 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.”
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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’.”

- O3 c+ }! G5 \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。

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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9 v8 ~$ Q) f3 t9 M- f" }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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All good things must come to end.

# ~- }1 d( ]' c- y) w0 I7 U' T# gAll feasts must come to an end.

, S" G5 ]/ o8 ~+ R7 P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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( G% \" G2 R7 s5 B( K% n13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

7 G6 v* p2 i# h9 i8 @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.

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

; _- X1 m. d* W7 |8 P. |) X15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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$ e" g8 Q6 L6 y, e- [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。

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.
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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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* }6 L, \0 i+ a" r& j/ `# q( [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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3 l. Z( n. o% g$ [# [I 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

' B) s$ |, W' M18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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3 a" a7 c+ t3 ~- v2 Z胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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' B2 `- i- R& U( o19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

- }! D0 F$ ~4 ^; A6 T9 Z: NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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! H7 M; ^& d: S: T( Z5 F/ z* i9 Y) }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# i0 j4 K; G( l7 r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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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) v% m& @/ Y' l* U8 Y- {billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗