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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8 d- W2 ^/ e- ^- z9 w5 vShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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* g, O3 @! `" J# u% ]# m) z/ U7 eShe 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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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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5 Q  j; f1 N( t6 j! y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

; L& g6 T2 E8 ^2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

  [7 D( E) `1 Z9 IHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

7 n! k0 D; |+ T7 T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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

$ w, B( v3 w" R" x. b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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

0 V1 b3 f& \* a2 V/ A& V  }7 {" HThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

  ?$ @1 n  w. f. A7 yIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.

5 Q- ^3 j9 j& x$ ~* |6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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.

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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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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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% L$ |8 }4 B' m- }deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

. |9 }9 `5 z6 M# u8 c) ?10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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6 `* l- M8 y( U1 y& p; tHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。

2 A% @6 x( T2 S. ^0 HTom 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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4 e5 I: g( ?/ \3 ^8 p" L) E* ZAll good things must come to end.
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& B( }+ X  M7 s+ d8 sAll feasts must come to an end.

  x% Z; V' E) P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。

! g- o: D; @7 \With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

! l2 ^$ c0 M7 l' ~  V- H/ u扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

; f) p# x: ^9 l2 L$ t, z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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2 B: V  y" K" [' G4 l% W  O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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, U. c5 g% ~3 L6 c7 G15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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3 O& N, k8 B" X1 U# l16. “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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3 B" W5 [2 G, ~  ?  Z+ J: `17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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) o& v; @5 T5 p  B8 L1 WI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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4 Z7 P5 Q* `. r& uHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

) U& H5 {" w( I7 U5 i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。

/ o! [% I. Q9 U1 x4 r/ d: cThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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9 @4 a9 @& Y9 F2 U. W! lThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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: r% {! K: |$ Y) c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。

6 w) _9 r; F1 v1 c( Z7 P! o$ Q2 z2 uHe 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