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。

- }* l; H. P: f+ b0 I6 ~! G* RShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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9 g, }# ^" z1 n6 R* x$ c& J  W1 o动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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2 `, y* n7 J7 U$ c  b  ~$ ~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.

, @& L; i5 M7 E. U+ K刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

! _2 T  m2 |' r: p6 v$ n2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 u4 ~7 {, K% CHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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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# C  w! P4 m' i1 Y7 K+ ^0 e' \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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

4 M$ K! e& ~+ ~  wThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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$ m" y& L! s  I) SThe 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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, O# \" l' Y5 U1 Z4 n+ S; R6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

! Z; N6 i0 R1 w$ b4 MHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

* K4 N6 ~/ I& r' p% F7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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# G0 ^) }, O, A0 zThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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3 h, m) A. o* D+ _1 B8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

0 O9 ?0 Q7 r9 m, hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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  |) a' ?. {" n5 P4 y* a( I1 e名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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) l% q) \$ g4 O) c$ j$ D6 z6 P5 Ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ s+ t6 x4 ^0 J& k- F' V7 _5 E  dlive up to one’s reputation
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7 f0 N' r1 w( Q6 S+ Y9. 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.”
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/ @4 @8 L7 f2 Z  S9 ^. n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”。

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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8 k% K/ d& V) D11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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) j! P. z5 q( m5 R5 \# L! 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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- Z3 t: S6 ^1 g  f# l# `% G# S2 _: Q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。

All good things must come to end.

3 _4 U' Z0 I! G  Y4 Z- UAll 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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) d" C2 h0 f' y* Y13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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+ T7 z# M/ p4 W) H' P, H  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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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% c+ K0 c& Y, wA 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。

- P  e$ `8 d7 T4 nTalk 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.

6 H. M& O* b( m2 W/ R* e; a( J# H煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

; z+ c4 y+ X4 \' [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

4 i+ X' j, B$ g  p哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

$ V7 S2 m5 n) k! t& P! r18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

  }* t& v, S) A, G0 C9 M- JHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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& P2 @1 I3 B& F  |; ~! X胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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4 t- a3 b) T* T+ F1 Q19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

$ ^- z9 D& {* e) `# TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

  l" J* L3 @" Q1 o, q; y: H" n: m1 HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

% ?, k! C, a0 T5 P2 l/ C; ]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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

. p: ?! G$ Q& U# s# Q上周日中午你去大统华了吗