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。

, R7 U, r- ?) F% Y4 U8 _* ~5 e1 jShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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# f3 F% z& K) kShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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2 @( C' {; t6 i; a4 p) v动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

! l3 a* {, v4 [! e9 c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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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. o8 y# z7 O7 y! CHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. [  Y2 c- F* w+ p, x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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) r, }( j& h9 r+ r/ u" Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- V/ z8 n; [7 `( ^2 f0 gIt 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.

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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1 L) d0 L* K* e0 a4 f5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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0 H# g( l* x* D/ C# Q: X6 JThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

& }# \3 H- l4 ]7 dThe 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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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。
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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。

8 Z" a* r# K" [6 F) {* GThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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$ Y" A: d/ _& {2 U! U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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

6 x: C" K3 k- d/ W名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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. r8 C2 q2 r! f/ e+ ?+ z7 w# R% ~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。”

5 _( F- t# L6 I) z7 ~! pMy 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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- z. V0 ^, g8 u) m. r( |) w天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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3 m! a2 @! ^0 r10. 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’.”

- N- e/ u) Q2 U  i$ z: _# b1 @画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

/ c. C# p% q/ i. ~6 c: S11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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% V! k! @5 n7 Y- U6 j- D! ~+ vTom 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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8 B6 M) u# t, u, Y5 c12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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1 e, n8 Y. S- m, C; @( C& OAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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.

. s3 t/ C$ Z. E3 z6 F/ k13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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5 N3 ]3 w, ]1 y( U7 \( z  E$ ^扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

" D; L' Y. h* ?, Z: Q14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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9 E5 y) Y* v. L% H3 f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.

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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. c+ J! `$ o5 t) GTalk 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.

# Y$ @7 t' C% M' A0 `$ B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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

1 N! v3 K+ Q3 P& O$ \9 {17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

3 H! k' @- n2 a7 {; e2 X  }% K% gI 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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

' P: {' E$ X( p0 M, K* [He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

- `# R$ d5 l4 B$ g+ T5 X19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

% b* _; a* x/ C5 U1 |2 d! s/ HThe 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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9 i; n  B3 J; 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。

! z# B0 o# b7 M8 ~6 ZHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
" U9 b, q- D% b$ E- Y2 Z8 xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ c4 M0 `+ C6 e% P2 [* y" k上周日中午你去大统华了吗