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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

2 P; X! t) c9 x8 m5 r0 f& ~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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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.

/ q2 O: f$ |  v* z. S" P刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

. t8 }" {  j) E$ y1 U2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

* U' M, A$ c( DHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. R  {* V( I/ e: i# J) c& P: ^% W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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 C1 d" D% k  N  {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.

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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& b/ ~& Z  ^) [! G, P3 o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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% D$ c' e# m0 s' H0 j4 _5. 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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+ `( V6 V4 `( hIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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8 [( T0 A1 x: h+ }- {7 g6 T. i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.

! c+ C4 Q4 Y' X! I" a' M4 w5 s, u# q6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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.
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( V5 W0 M- g5 ~# \+ u8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

/ n. z& C! b- N' A" E9 O5 Q9 ~; @8 oIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

- }& Q' A1 @3 x$ W% Glive up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

5 q0 C9 ], F. l7 |+ tMy 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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' K. L+ N' P5 O# E, W; @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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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: M) E0 ^* d5 \- R" E6 o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.

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.

8 m* z9 ~- e# }  t) V+ Q9 T12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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4 s6 Z/ E! z+ T7 C& a- FAll good things must come to end.
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5 C4 M3 W: y/ l# b. a; q0 {) HAll feasts must come to an end.
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3 n* K, U$ R' |  {" n' M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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) [6 E+ U( j7 A5 @1 U% o+ e13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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7 M/ p0 `5 N! W! C+ 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

6 U3 {( i* }8 e4 N- Y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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

0 b- t& r4 @  m4 A1 LA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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& Y% k* f( b( B1 b+ H16. “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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' U4 `! Z2 D) w' HTalk 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.

! E2 \% T' H- J& U' u0 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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

. F/ o6 ]% w5 w# I6 {4 g! T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。

1 V; L* |" F; tI 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
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4 f% r' L0 ?9 H+ W% \6 c+ i18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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, k. P3 f6 k  d" s0 ]8 ZHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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: `, i! w; N$ q- m/ F% J胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

0 N( w$ N. R& Y9 q( w19. 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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3 F( i# X) {: y( A5 @# N; |The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

7 s; r% u, Y' W. WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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- d; T! E6 M2 o扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
0 P4 b& z5 a) H( g6 H2 Kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗