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.

3 o0 Z3 C* E' b$ ?/ s* P, f7 q! K, fShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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$ L, W) s! |# o! D( l& K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 E1 A4 Q# r( M" l0 o动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

0 _; @$ [' u, q5 S! D# Q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.

' [4 O! S% c& {6 D/ p- d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。

4 z5 X. ]" ?3 m% M1 }$ GHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 F6 `! j2 M) a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
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2 y- G2 x" @" ~+ O) J( I2 c3. 十年树木，百年树人。

( ^8 A' Y( S* UIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

6 X+ J* `9 j9 ^+ N, _4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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/ H8 `/ Y& P. V; ]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.

5 F; {/ a8 _5 `0 q1 y  V( V9 `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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5 D/ K6 S0 m2 I% W# aThe 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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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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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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9 a8 z* Z8 H( |6 F5 oHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

# D% j7 c6 m# J, H7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

( j7 Z$ N; M# T5 a4 u1 Gdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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.”

7 L( P5 D! r% V8 G天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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- F0 `' Q, V1 v! D7 \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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" e! M2 h9 {  g, f5 k) N8 f6 k画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

4 x" d- `6 K0 v$ _: N11. 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.

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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4 {8 I+ S; I6 `12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

, \8 ?3 }  \" R  w  ~/ J8 GAll feasts must come to an end.
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: B6 w( V3 _& g" j) W" c/ X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。
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$ n0 P6 m) i. ]; k3 ^. [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.

  f. d! y4 D6 f; ~14. 江山易改，本性难移。

& t6 `  f5 N1 }A leopard can’t change its spots.

  D7 H: w1 K  i; \! z, `: _9 y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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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

0 G  k) P& K, L$ E9 s16. “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.

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.

* B* Q: v  g; ]) {( w' n9 i& u+ U4 M借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

$ l9 R" t0 z5 N2 A, Q, D1 |2 U煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

( X2 L0 t9 h) s  {I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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3 G2 I" O. n5 |4 N; S9 `18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

* R4 E% G( T7 F# l! jHe 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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- g% M: u# I( L/ O5 `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.

, N! g0 a# o5 I* t扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

, j1 t6 D# K2 P! _/ K( o20. 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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& }- e/ j  ^- l- _! w' {3 GHe 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