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

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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+ |/ u$ Q5 I: `: }动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

2 O7 `- D6 ^$ H! M( v* w2 a他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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3 P1 j7 y6 G" T8 s) E. W2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

, d) [0 u# O! D" m! w; V$ GHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

& H0 E% v% y7 A/ E8 L0 f& [+ c不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

; N( C! R& n0 w$ erefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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2 h4 G& O) c6 q9 k  g( O+ g3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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3 @/ H9 L# i+ b: _/ s+ ZIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

+ _3 G; i5 h$ Q5 c4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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; }& v% i. Z' ~- f2 o& U4 ]石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

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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3 E: G/ d7 }" H5 f: {, y+ F% f- |The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

! I. }1 w& V! S1 X" P* u- _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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5 S0 w! w; V$ K' r/ t- u6. 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。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

6 _; ^. F5 A& e# x  H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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. o: ~, T$ O) P& }. ]8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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7 R5 t+ t' g) x9 ^' i4 H1 LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ y; k+ ]; n7 E( a% ?! vlive up to one’s reputation

( x+ z! M! e2 `4 X/ J9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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$ Y, h* W: N; P* `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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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’.”

+ S! O) u3 x7 L: t$ X+ E. G7 d画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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/ ], F/ A, I; y' n6 Z7 L! n- t3 V11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

# o3 h& z8 [. P5 @' H: }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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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& W; f* x4 j' ^2 aAll feasts must come to an end.

* i/ F" L+ n: {3 t' `) r, Q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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 E2 ^3 ]: F3 S$ v5 e0 wWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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& \8 e! y7 O/ J扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

# G' L, d  L; {  q14. 江山易改，本性难移。

6 I* m5 Z6 v: D: gA leopard can’t change its spots.
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+ w# v( H' R3 G" {- H# x& X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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+ g- u% i; T: W! S" P' [A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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6 [, F( C3 f3 k/ ~& W3 G16. “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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Talk 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.
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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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0 \( u7 _& Q1 c! V哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

. Y! R# K& e- T- k6 Q# z2 A$ C+ y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- y- b& O0 j9 I, u; P( mHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

3 d4 R+ L# M& }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 F4 _! U: C; Y$ ^The 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

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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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

: \; S, a; V# G- X上周日中午你去大统华了吗