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.

/ }* U% h+ N2 m3 BShe 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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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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+ q" {3 C( o  E1 B0 l0 I- D动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

( L0 r+ g& k. N8 B他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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3 W8 [3 Q+ A# D6 Y( j6 ^! ~刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

6 |3 x1 M6 q/ l- O4 b' U2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

  A2 p$ N2 t+ X& W; D5 Y: i; QHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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  o! ?* T' }) I: p3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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2 i7 ?2 o/ p: sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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% C3 q' d1 f3 }5 O6 M4. 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.

, I9 T2 ^4 I6 h1 J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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' h$ g* t; V8 ]5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

: B6 p2 h: r7 S- K( Q0 xThe 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.

9 Y6 t( M; h' s; L4 ZIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

: H+ |3 ~* `( _2 j! ?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.

* ]. P8 D0 [3 k( m! r; r7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

9 v; ~) d- [7 Z& ]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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% H& [* \. g8 H+ P5 X% x4 d8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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( ~3 U, }2 w( G  f* f# V( DIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- W. g4 p+ J6 `$ {% w( P6 \' Zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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# Z( x) ]5 F3 ]' B* {live up to one’s reputation
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0 p( M1 s1 r0 v# \4 R9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

* K6 ]& r: a9 R3 d& j* MMy 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.”

0 U; Q: X% Z3 ?天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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+ W0 E5 L0 H* E7 K" m% sHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

1 q5 E8 P- g2 u3 L9 g2 v! t4 G画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

4 h& Y3 e1 k) Y) q9 E6 R1 j11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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" j( `/ E6 {9 o% hTom 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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7 C; E, l/ p5 m: W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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- r  u! C; j+ B$ @$ T+ AAll feasts must come to an end.

. T' H8 x. N9 C$ x( E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.

3 i: g) c5 |; i13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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5 ?4 P9 \) {) q( E' rWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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0 A1 [3 j* O! t; h; ~扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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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。

& Y2 E' x' \( d0 E% fTalk 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.

0 T3 t# S( e, Q1 s' h" \) [2 [4 S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.

6 h9 F$ g6 o- r1 ?& Z( u! u; J' n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

* b: y, w( Q, a& t' h. g17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

/ W6 `4 L( |0 o( V9 J0 mHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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, I1 {6 x" o7 @! i% b) j) I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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* F1 A" h2 D0 c- A. B9 j) tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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) ]( @/ v2 r1 Q" E1 s: b2 Q20. 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!
+ o" n: h% H2 J8 Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

( w7 ~# V* W6 t/ b上周日中午你去大统华了吗