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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8 c- _9 B) |/ c- [1 T" i7 MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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0 l/ a+ y& r2 T* A, s1 `7 B, ?动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

) n5 A7 \* z) \) m$ c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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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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.
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$ O; c" p; A* N4 L1 V" ~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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/ U+ N3 A! q# s% J; @2 }refuse to give up until all hope is gone

1 g* F3 M3 P4 \5 b5 a3. 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。

2 R, T3 F  z  C: cHe 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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1 f  [( p* k+ o5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

2 G* u; \6 R% [$ |5 f' WThe 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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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4 M. T% J+ Q$ 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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5 C  {. n) t+ S6 R( x! M- [9 J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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8 w4 p; @$ r0 R+ n+ jHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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* p9 b% s3 X; \5 z; o" b+ Y8 N( m7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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( P1 ~1 X; Y/ x( pThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

$ j( z8 `3 e; D$ t  u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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+ j3 A$ M3 {1 k9 HIt’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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- W/ d7 e* X. c1 L2 h+ T9 P# Ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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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; {- ~, Y: [1 T0 I天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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( V0 `! @- n0 ?7 p  H9 |' c' T; {10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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6 F3 u8 y0 J- Q5 o- }He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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" m3 b. Q1 Q8 e! A画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

' i7 F* \5 m2 C3 y) k) ^7 i11. 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.

7 Y- L5 C6 i! l! E0 ?$ g9 n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.

# T: Z& r2 U' p% t* y12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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。

6 w1 ?' P8 g/ ^: Z+ F- H# MWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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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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. k; D" A# z/ C" @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.
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! _; O4 g: W5 M2 ?/ l: `+ @( i15. 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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, `3 ^5 [: ]+ m. RTalk 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.
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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.

- s3 G; G2 g; y; i* Z- }" F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。

7 d2 @4 b0 b6 M3 D7 f6 EI 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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

$ N+ J! Q4 K% G' u/ THe 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
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( ?9 V) h. z1 k, `  t8 C19. 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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( y( H4 O( r* n/ }1 F: [The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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+ d+ H  }7 y0 u# r9 qThe 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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5 v. Q( G. F8 I20. 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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# P+ K( z1 g2 NHe 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗