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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0 A( i! F+ e9 m/ P* I# WShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

- S+ N4 r% w) J! PShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

2 |8 @1 Q/ z- v5 K' n+ p, S动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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' X- W' O4 L8 ]5 I4 D6 m1 X动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 s) r; y0 G, b( z3 f9 r动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

# ^) P# D; @, \. j! g+ U他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 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.

  W0 U8 J5 h& O3 X4 d8 ~0 O不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

- M- G* A$ a; a6 Y! Xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

, V" o6 Y4 I$ y. H4 E# G3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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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.
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; L( x% b- c* G( g3 d) s石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

( ^# F1 g9 ]0 n9 U: W6 ]' B5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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1 r1 q4 Y  q1 ?( y% W  j' X0 nThe 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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' [" l% k/ |) F, f) RIf 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.
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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.
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( V; y* `' R9 I& I" v7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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" `( E2 ?3 \+ X% x" y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。
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  P. n, ]/ t" J: w& MIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" i/ E; n% {# f& Y! S; E6 F! a5 c2 P名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- s$ y7 H3 M  B4 j6 ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

# d7 F' K) M) y, ]4 D" {& EMy 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.
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. u& c8 `& `2 H6 R' i8 b10. 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’.”
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8 N' V' a% v) a: a* t+ t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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9 C0 H! @: a0 L9 W2 `8 e5 P: nTom 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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7 b* v! w- q. i, H2 b$ T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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

, p5 K1 Q; |7 x& U4 i8 w) J: r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。
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With 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。

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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

+ q6 A- j( t+ @5 q6 JA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

9 f! S5 w- A% c+ J4 z" q16. “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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, m1 T% Q8 N; T; k$ E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

3 N0 D7 a& b  K5 v17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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$ |) @' N/ e# @+ U0 |* T/ e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。

" f/ d# ?0 m# d4 @He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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3 l% o1 G, |0 G4 d19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

' N" }) W7 z) z: |9 |$ n$ S2 p7 M6 KThe 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# P( T4 _1 @+ [, _! ?. U扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 d! C9 z: {1 b  ]( x1 F/ G7 m; ~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。

8 ^* {4 c& P& o$ N) Q% tHe 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