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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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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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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- q0 k5 j" L; b- t; j8 \3 d1 p: Y( j6 c刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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. `! L+ x! \  t  R! R/ m2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 G/ z$ ~& H  E7 J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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+ q1 I* z! j! {& k0 P% aIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

% h1 V3 u- V, d) E5 R' C, j: t4. 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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' Y4 s0 g1 \! l$ x8 e0 n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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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.

; y7 W7 j. y$ t2 z/ x- F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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1 b8 H3 q0 `) a* @6 C7 A1 h6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

6 v; v% J. O( {1 cHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

! N; K' Y. {+ g7 g" _9 H7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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6 c& W9 B9 y) o! E8 IThis 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.

; Y& O' u, H9 r; j# w8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

# G# `* o! K! pIt’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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live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

8 S( L2 x- c$ V2 L1 Z$ H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。
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) U1 t# o# l7 C- `8 c  m) PTom 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.
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" t, K: B9 ?$ j; g) r0 ^6 t12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

9 m# n+ s9 g7 \4 R. v$ P/ VAll good things must come to end.

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。

. `# h7 b" ~  Y& `  UWith 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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A leopard can’t change its spots.

, E7 j0 h8 o; K; \( H+ ]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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+ J, _; O3 r: c/ u& b8 EA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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/ D& ~+ J; a/ i& G" J16. “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.

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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2 |. V- S# W" B: @6 u4 wI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

+ k2 w$ U# Y( _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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

; g0 I+ V: H0 E1 H) |1 t7 h4 `  T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。
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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.

0 _4 e- W* m3 B9 a% r8 ~扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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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- |8 A0 t' z9 y" KHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
. [3 ?# n/ c. qbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗