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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5 d; F' `( g* t/ m, m& Z' HShe 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.

6 T( H  ]+ B$ x( X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

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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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: `' C5 l' I0 q2 \/ P  x不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

8 Z7 a! N1 A: |+ J: p& arefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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# |: \/ |5 R7 j9 D) T" y3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- F: t0 j9 L5 CIt 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。

' E6 h& e! W6 q# h" Q2 _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.

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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" Q+ \  u7 A- K. C; z& C% L8 dIf 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.

+ S( W. G2 h" s+ c! A- x) |9 a% J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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8 h9 X# I5 \9 b, ]7 k- |0 K2 RHe 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。

& d; P, X# F4 [& A- ?. V- Q! cThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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( U: P& f; H3 F5 D张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

; s5 w! G( }8 ^7 S. |3 ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 g7 b. b0 ~5 y( I3 Y: Mlive up to one’s reputation

" a& U/ u/ x2 Y% k# q1 w9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

9 f* M# v/ C% q! f' zMy 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.”

& X2 Z1 p7 x& z3 W4 c7 f' z( G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”。

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.

1 Z3 Z: L4 l) s0 ?1 Y, s11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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2 Y$ ?2 u; }$ bTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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。

( T3 s1 V4 k- P+ @* h0 U- {. ~All 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.

/ C! ]: J# `: P8 y0 O13. 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.

9 h) g4 R5 U4 r1 ~9 P6 k* v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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; ]8 ]9 {& l/ C4 j- w" W- U3 l; ?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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

. J9 K* S4 h3 t  O4 T7 XA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

, g! j4 H1 o8 k0 |; [( Y  F3 |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。
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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.
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6 o7 j8 n. L5 C, q8 I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

2 J( B% U) O% `- [7 K3 \  h17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

/ f8 J9 S; Z- XI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

2 o9 h: N3 e' k6 t18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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& `+ `! S: \5 S: Q7 L8 t) O8 X- q, NHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

4 D; l# E5 T" _1 U3 L胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

# l7 b$ d& X7 h$ |) f; F: l19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

1 m; D3 Z' v6 z9 ~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.

# `2 U8 L  `( P2 A. T8 M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。

, i3 z! `; x. R& _$ V2 V* A  NHe 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