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。

( r: C  n# K7 A. iShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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  u7 R4 B! k: Y' z, w( j* BShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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) ^' `8 c+ D% b5 {( ~! j动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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/ z# A9 S9 ]! Y5 P% h1 \( N6 u. H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.

: L/ O, [# B# @3 W# N% L0 U  Q% d刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

  K, I4 Y1 e' `7 W* F0 P( W2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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" [! H- \% y. g  J+ lHe 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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2 h  ?% w  M' L  ]It 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。

He 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.

2 P9 |0 V2 x7 [7 s# O) D5 o# ^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.

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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# J+ g3 z0 ?/ [/ O7 Y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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3 h& j( }; l, o4 X: v( k! ^8 |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.

$ \0 o. ^/ G- |- G0 _, `# t7. 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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" a$ G+ `3 z- u4 y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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; |- V, ^/ u( I  x6 |live up to one’s reputation

" t( ?1 X& {. S& }9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* J. G2 `0 ?$ Q. IMy 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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& k4 O- |* o% ?6 R天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

- e# i% i" L5 u10. 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.
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; @: N; J) U8 Z0 B# S0 w11. 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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0 E! P8 C, h8 B6 l12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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6 G  M6 n: ]4 n' Q9 K. jAll 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.
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% w: f8 Z2 ]& J+ ^5 @0 l; u& ?13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

6 k% |) o7 x6 C$ G' _* hWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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3 o( b* m+ B" e14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.
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; \; r2 H9 F' l: s9 G15. 吃一堑，长一智。

$ o2 O4 `0 `( b5 {A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

. I: B9 r/ G$ x( r. p4 e* N6 w16. “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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% ]0 _6 I; ^& c- a8 U: t8 M- B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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1 `6 ~6 s0 z- M0 X5 _; ]借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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7 Q# ^1 D/ I, h  n  N1 n/ i煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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0 I- F' f! S! f17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I 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 c% D& Z3 x) A18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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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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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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。

# A# b: K& d" h/ ]1 J( ~7 x& zHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) s: p3 S. \1 I0 Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗