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.

  S1 o2 C! R& d5 u3 t( \4 {/ B- e2 SShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

# C6 g( y7 p" ?! O  d. ?1 M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
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  U. O/ A& R5 W% z1 P2 k他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

6 ~$ c. \, q, m' L& [. l( ?3 J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。
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0 Y# \4 i, \9 S9 j4 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;

/ T9 J  s5 K% [0 \refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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- a7 a9 ]: q  j- H/ U7 S4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

) L$ X6 j0 L; W* g* C) j1 ]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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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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( a- Q% I( v7 R. v' H2 m$ fThe 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.

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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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2 r; z, `; I" O7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. q6 A, A5 F0 s# I& lThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

. G# M3 r5 D/ g; q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。

5 M: J$ K% D" v' cIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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1 [% u, V$ _: z# l名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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' y: f  F8 f% Q1 J7 ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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' ]5 ^: h% `  S9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”
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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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6 \1 R4 Z6 o* S/ s& i# c2 q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He 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.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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& t- A; j5 C# t. V. VTom 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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, h# r$ t$ |  I9 `- J12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

4 m- d, ]) P: @0 X0 W, ^All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

5 v/ a) W, w; T. ?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。

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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, v, \* U- }9 N  k14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

' C6 |2 y& a  w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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& Y/ L5 J( {+ T$ _% F9 g+ P" _15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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9 e: L" J, }; X# m3 b  {A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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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" ]+ r" b! I% C/ l% pTalk 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.

; x7 T2 a9 ?2 i1 D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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4 I" ]; k; Q+ z$ _  e. B4 v! D/ p0 I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
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

* p$ Y; R0 q, `2 e# {7 y哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

5 w$ o1 S* B( ?8 y0 X6 X18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

, R; o; j  X5 h% p9 }7 n19. 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.
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0 E8 Y3 J2 x& n' ^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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' ^; Q8 B. u8 [3 z7 Y/ I3 eHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
" V4 @6 G, c; c4 M9 w" {- L, A' i1 Ubillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

2 [. \5 X: f* ?* _. ?上周日中午你去大统华了吗