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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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

5 _" V! O# _6 u7 R1 B, d! d8 z动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

6 W- ?1 t2 ]+ U; |% [9 l7 k他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

0 i+ I) G4 R3 ~! I# j1 Z  X% W4 z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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9 |  z$ `5 R& \  a' |He 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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0 s  }/ j! k- i9 h& Q  DIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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% {5 c: [# B. ]; h5 O4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

1 @; ~8 i3 g) V' X2 L3 T5. 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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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.

6. 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 Y5 q# b4 M/ d8 ^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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

% E' O- F: r  Y+ r& O/ KIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

9 E; Y2 r0 O3 S1 ~0 a7 l4 Udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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  H, s3 O- i8 W2 P7 `, J; V9. 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.”

7 i$ S  R( F; Y8 p+ j天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

7 f' b! `( H. |9 ~3 |: Q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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+ y2 V: j/ B: |2 P/ P! W7 _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.

% z  X+ p- r7 N' P- y7 g! M5 d11. 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.
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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。
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2 O: y9 s% s$ r2 E/ t5 x2 ?2 IAll good things must come to end.

! J3 A1 X9 U9 `; T% hAll 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.

0 M- M: [$ k( N4 |4 X9 |13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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2 T6 d/ B" U" gWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

" G. F0 G; L1 Q! U3 @扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

; P, }; r' \4 M. Z# 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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) I+ k$ J& y  \1 K" F5 O' a16. “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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5 y' d5 Z: ~. g6 ]  n6 YTalk 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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

) {- z# \5 ^; {3 R$ G+ K17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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1 t& z! Y% {2 U/ }. a. eI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

. b0 ?& J& l" O哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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$ K  T5 v! y$ UHe 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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( N1 |2 S! V; y5 ?/ S9 F6 x19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

! U$ ~0 ~' o- b, ?) Y+ y! D; k扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

% N: p& i$ F' Z! ^  Z: U# o20. 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。

/ o( |& E( P: U7 X3 d. c' w, VHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
* h/ I3 K/ |( \  C( p$ ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 W5 V2 A* \6 S上周日中午你去大统华了吗