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。

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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) l+ ^/ y+ X" G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

& w9 c1 m5 w5 z2 U: J他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

& s' h1 Q) I0 q1 b; A刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

9 _( i4 b7 C7 @$ X2. 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.
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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。
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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。
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! j* L- A% l) a9 B/ ]- o( W* Y+ CHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

& R) D% m% |& ?7 Z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。
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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.
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: _9 I$ h+ A/ |3 ~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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$ L/ H: v+ f" _0 L6 v6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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% j  n' j8 u7 K, [3 VHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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; n' i" b- ]% b6 _7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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* w% A) _3 B$ I名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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/ l) m) F% ?  R- E, clive 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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; h2 n  C+ `. o0 G4 q8 N7 {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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' _0 P" u' m2 X4 Z8 c& c天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

7 P* l* U. [! S! I10. 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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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

, F3 s) h* y4 u- j$ F- b11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom 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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

6 p0 v- x8 Y, p& _  IAll good things must come to end.
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# ^  R% P# R6 |) v' kAll 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。

# c: |5 X5 U& D# M; u5 [With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  ]- [/ \, ~: Y6 k2 A6 }# Z$ j扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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3 _2 l2 d* d0 m% j' o: X6 z! _A leopard can’t change its spots.
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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

6 P6 B  ~0 R" c! d* t15. 吃一堑，长一智。

( G4 b1 S; `5 }+ a% f( o/ BA 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.
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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

1 t  e* L; @. \7 |  h" x17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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( `3 O. b( t: s0 v* OI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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. B; R9 o% E" W, L! M+ Z) I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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' F- ~# p+ y* M( zHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

1 h0 o; ]- k# `胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

8 Z& [' O; y, J. QThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. F6 b& b2 p. V$ Z/ F/ l: @The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

- R9 B/ x* B9 J% ^4 M% ?+ N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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗