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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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# W' g0 y" O$ e% P& Q! T动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

1 E, Q5 r& u% J& ?* ]( h刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

7 s' A4 a& U' P; h0 n% w, oHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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

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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/ V- R* x2 x6 z- J* e8 Y, Y1 O2 L8 Z4. 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.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

% X! I) c+ p1 i( H. M' R5. 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.
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# S+ ~- c7 h8 @: j! p# w6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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1 B( {3 h$ z. g% i- z' R( R2 H" B5 LHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- h& @' @' t1 f( f- t" p% f张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

+ \+ a7 Z' A- l; \  ?/ b) z8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

  F" V/ B3 d% ]5 z& S5 tIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

, o# r" L- U$ k( i4 D9. 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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, ]8 |& j5 ?+ G/ R: V8 l. G1 Y/ H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”。

' w6 Y1 U; e" |He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

- e4 K/ k: G9 D8 w/ `: O3 `画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

8 o! F/ ~5 U# j2 K% k) X3 H11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

, K9 D5 J( C1 b9 S4 GTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

4 y' c, {, V& Q& Y3 w7 p( P3 r; V2 U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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9 e2 ?. c# v- L: {# T; n: r; Y7 GAll good things must come to end.

+ k5 N% \4 }: lAll feasts must come to an end.

+ @" f3 g4 @0 H0 Z( q& B6 P4 Y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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

) J, b3 d# M! d4 W# l; _. C扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

1 |4 J$ Q  _( |14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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& S! L, Z0 Z+ w" Z6 f0 J* D4 m3 j! w9 ~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.

3 |9 d+ s4 W; O4 s5 _15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ u. `6 F& S/ |# ~" Q5 u" f$ OA 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。

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.
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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.

4 f# l  f6 R; _4 o9 r: o. f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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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$ ?+ u* \) X# s4 j3 Z, eI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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% A/ A! a& f. ~, }3 \; W胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

' f+ c6 S  J; a1 B% h# z19. 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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; r. p$ C* n- U5 u5 b: ~9 b( g. aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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6 l1 p: l; c! {. a6 N, ~, CThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

) b2 e/ A1 F' y  s  k2 t; ~- ?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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# X- F. J0 Q( _billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗