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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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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! ~( {, J9 e4 b动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

$ p8 D. u% ?& V! m5 l$ P动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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+ F$ P7 m* D: i, ~9 c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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1 @+ E" E; l# \; t, y& b2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 J( T" U+ e: g/ a2 e; c  PHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 s. B3 n: C4 ?' E$ n) Q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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' O- M9 W  R: grefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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1 x5 ^$ C9 o: G+ G' f, d( c0 w3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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' i5 }6 ^0 A  K, {' p) B4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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2 |* @9 q3 o. e. `1 j; uThe 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.

  e( U2 Z6 ?) x6 I3 `If 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.
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: P3 E3 E! T. ?' a# [& D0 [: 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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

$ n9 e, A7 W- S" I7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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# c% Y9 H2 W1 s9 l- CThis 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.
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) D7 l% f+ _% A, O1 I' F8. 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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$ y: Q- `6 j  U* ~/ j名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

/ U7 a6 L! b* V8 R$ R5 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。”

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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6 K/ H6 H; H6 \6 q天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

2 v6 g7 s  m; m' d6 C0 ]! }; c10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

- T2 L! w: }9 `3 NHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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1 C  Q8 L5 _0 H4 G( L/ 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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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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- y" M3 ]) S9 i" R5 ]9 A6 _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。
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All good things must come to end.

, T8 Q" U2 }+ B9 B4 v& c3 DAll feasts must come to an end.
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, q  @" a8 W8 h- L' o; ^5 b' p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.

4 Q" P8 ?% ^; d13. 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.

: w- G$ B" C% f5 D  A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。

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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# O5 M$ }% A: w" }. E15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

2 G4 d/ P; U7 M- Z2 z16. “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。

$ L- l( ^4 V6 }" T( UTalk 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.

5 h5 [6 t0 A4 G2 M$ `6 g5 x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.

: z- n- t6 u1 `! r/ F/ J5 R, M* b借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

6 h/ K  X& _) \5 [# A煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

$ u1 j7 [' G# [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

8 s" K& ]7 g/ D" R# zI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

$ k) w1 [. C1 M# W1 I% k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。

+ f0 u3 K. C% E: x8 q, qHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

- a' I# S! Q2 A, r+ z* X4 {2 E" z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.
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9 j9 r* N8 B* q' Z/ V9 [; iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 e. {8 O5 ^9 V4 B: {扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) ]# |- U7 i0 ?9 u  p# E20. 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

2 A3 B' y7 q- p. R上周日中午你去大统华了吗