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.
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* C' a/ X1 y( `% L6 y3 QShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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; \8 r/ l' z: J5 V" R动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

6 ]; d6 i2 }9 @% M0 |! }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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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9 |/ x' t( P, k  u1 d' R! v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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. G. D9 r: u9 E& F0 ]. Q不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

0 X( m2 }& t9 w, h$ s. drefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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# o* N+ P4 e( E( P3. 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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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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8 u; }! f5 H8 @) r. |He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

3 i! \" H! g2 [! H  E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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* r! d& G+ ?7 \, Y5. 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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2 \( T& n( ]/ W2 `2 dThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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! B) Y; ^+ L& ~% \- Z$ kIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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% `1 ]' w/ w* k. 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.

& m' G/ j  F/ J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

# K% ?, `/ \  w  N5 x2 ^$ J; bHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

6 B5 b9 I7 F' G2 c7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

+ l- k1 w3 |& pThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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0 q% v& R( @7 Z( d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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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7 b! I" M, {9 b& M: d名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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4 f* b$ k. ~6 ^, x8 t' d9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

3 |/ D' _  e: I, p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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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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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Tom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

6 Q1 \3 n0 Z$ \: g7 f: zAll good things must come to end.

, V% l# M! m, O3 ^1 PAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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1 S7 g+ @; R; y- a9 }% e13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

& ~' \9 O7 `& g  UWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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; ?; T; m% M9 u  E1 Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

. z0 i+ p) [8 _  g8 pA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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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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# J' t: {- Z" u/ E5 m! 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.

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.
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8 p7 N9 O8 _( U4 u$ q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。

: y1 p+ c% U0 A0 m$ jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

6 o# ]3 [- ?5 h8 @2 |哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

1 l& f4 T& d8 ?18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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5 b9 ^0 N6 V: KHe 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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

5 ?+ ~/ b3 v) f, K- {+ @$ @The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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( o5 u; _- H/ P4 U$ S0 ?4 F6 i  QThe 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

" y* H' }- _2 ]( u  b1 e. Q: h- |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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7 W) ?/ m( n! IHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
0 P! N1 O; `* l: x- S7 lbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗