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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4 c' |1 @# @- o; k1 QShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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! F' C/ b: z9 d9 bShe 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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8 Z* X$ W- j2 |" C0 Z! |3 N- l动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

) E, {9 N8 q6 m# l/ d动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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4 y! _( \* _3 m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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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6 h6 e7 ]5 O- C6 V( t7 w5 ]+ bHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

: P6 m  @. e8 B4 \* }: X' X' x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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/ O5 T8 l( `: _, F& yrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

. {/ g3 J) w. i' j3. 十年树木，百年树人。

7 S3 S1 O# B+ E8 b2 g9 dIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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# ]5 \9 J/ Z& j% aHe 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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; O/ O4 P, Q. y5 j5. 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.
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, z# E, r4 B! R# i2 @+ xThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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! J' {+ K2 x) C, 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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" X: ?! \4 w; W1 I6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

0 t; z3 \' H' A1 CHe 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。

  n! `# B! L) R/ G6 e+ r  h$ ^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.

6 h+ h9 Z4 e1 z1 ?! O8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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6 G; z1 s9 C# D  R) ~" ?# z( tIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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1 g' l) o! C7 C# F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
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3 z3 n: n7 i% G# p9 _8 [) @3 c9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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' b: i  W) D( ^8 SMy 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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

4 f' N9 U0 u. n. O5 c0 n  I- L画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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  \: d" Z) R- E& iTom 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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9 b- v: Q$ E6 V, @% {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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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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.
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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.
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+ ^+ H/ W5 e: q9 P' h+ Y扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

( M9 j+ \$ L0 ~# v" k, W. o14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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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( m7 G" h3 r5 y1 n2 U15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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2 \0 i% `, S/ v5 S+ N" V1 PA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  t( t# E; }/ b8 n6 m% {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.

3 \0 X# y) |0 f! s  p借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

" p* W. q4 o3 o' F; {1 E' U- c1 ]煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

, \3 z2 k: l; G17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

6 Z. h% [: u- t  t# ]* UI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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; ?( {, `+ p3 X* G) `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。

5 n6 k7 v4 ?4 w1 l) iHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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5 d' P- c# w/ Q胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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& C6 r  {% Q$ C+ `7 l19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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  f# O8 \- E3 t( a8 R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!
0 z! j5 l% M: ~0 H: pbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

# I* n/ c$ }& w  Y4 p! d上周日中午你去大统华了吗