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。

& Q% ]$ x$ r7 ~$ A; c6 ~* IShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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  G- D0 K0 h- t/ o2 VShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

2 H7 f: w! e2 b. L动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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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

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.
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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;

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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' R1 h3 e, s; k1 Y: v* fHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

, m4 Z7 m, p  [4 `& F0 B石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

/ G$ C) X/ w& s& ~& X! `5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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1 C: ?. v: T. aThe 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$ o1 r( ]4 G' e/ S  AIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

7 C  h' a/ _: [4 J: A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.

6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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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。

0 y' }$ J1 w+ p, C0 aIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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, B5 E/ F* T4 \' B. u6 tdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

4 o$ g4 X7 k- qlive 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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$ w- \2 `$ h4 |$ 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

/ w% w) K( M. d* S5 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.

& Q: f$ M/ S2 R$ O11. 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.

" H& M! v4 x. R* n1 O9 ~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.

All feasts must come to an end.

2 l. e# X1 h0 E6 y  V1 Y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.

5 Q3 m% k" S/ f* S4 X13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

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.

8 ^9 ^/ V( |" |' Z; j  ?14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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. j" Z2 y( J$ EA leopard can’t change its spots.
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/ A+ u/ X+ x& {* R& n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。
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; k) U. x5 n  q# O3 [* Z, S6 FA 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。
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- M) L/ O4 V9 ^  P- PTalk 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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( Y) z9 C- _: }9 f. ?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.

3 }6 @8 ^0 s3 M; G0 P- u* |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

17. 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.

8 t5 i* j" z$ M1 |& O+ O哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

' F6 E. F6 t: p& c18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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2 K6 z. w  s# e% d+ H胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* E6 D0 z4 o0 f% n/ a2 {* d19. 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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8 |; [( e' q8 r9 D' C0 MThe 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
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7 U% ^8 i0 w# ~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。
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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