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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$ W* s  a$ ~) N( H& ]She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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5 B  V  b: ?0 k$ Q- u动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

5 @# X  [. @8 L动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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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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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.

  _( t3 g/ Y. Q' C$ Y! T4 S# U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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( d, x% U- w! M& Xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

! t- g) W- Y1 p! C( O3. 十年树木，百年树人。

6 S9 ~0 c3 l/ KIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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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& K8 T! O+ Q: Y7 H$ p6 T5. 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.

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.

) [# V- n3 y% O/ n2 V. D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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9 j2 E: e2 K, |  @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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& X  H$ e7 p7 r, o- g8 THe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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* D% D" r( \9 z* WThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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9 k0 Y, I: n3 v( `4 o8 C6 m# bdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

2 k9 G9 G) O3 W+ S$ T7 r# l9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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$ N6 S  q/ @* W  f1 fMy 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.”

. e) n1 ^' n: a) s天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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% T! K% H" A  Q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

. T: g; v2 J9 d: I) XHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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% X, m# C9 A5 [; Y0 }& V; n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。

* ~% N) Q  |! f+ I7 ^  C, V3 ^* ~9 NTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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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' l4 @  ~' O, }4 f; X12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

; f, c; ]; A7 X! w/ pAll good things must come to end.

  E, ~9 S  U" PAll feasts must come to an end.
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7 g5 O" X0 R% u: i2 ?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.

/ E8 f/ r) u/ {0 L# {13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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3 y9 p4 g. q0 Y4 P0 p+ VWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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3 k* D. ]; E; ^7 g6 X/ k! S3 P7 m( E14. 江山易改，本性难移。

7 ~1 _/ m% A3 W+ f$ p0 GA leopard can’t change its spots.
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; m) {# N4 @8 }4 p/ D# H$ C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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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1 {! s- z- D4 f, k9 u' r% |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。

# b% T  ^! |; g; rTalk 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.
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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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

4 _& w3 {: x- G$ n0 K0 t0 [I 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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, Y  K1 |( |/ F1 P% j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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, Q$ n* N; g8 l0 b' P3 [( OHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

: Y6 v4 K  _8 `2 q  x1 \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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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。

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

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
& }7 e8 j: P5 d, p5 w% Gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) g' Y8 ]7 |- Z上周日中午你去大统华了吗