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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: P! A) S+ H. R, `7 W, q9 q% ?5 jShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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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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) w: |  o6 E  I( t/ N动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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/ H9 Q5 a: I# i9 T; v7 H( i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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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.

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
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$ s* T$ \7 U) j! Z& o3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

; d1 O. _5 j7 |* h! J" Y/ ?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.
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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.

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.

. C  P% `! x6 \/ l9 G6. 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.
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& X! m# I- }2 }. S7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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( s1 k5 o+ B+ H: h% U$ S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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4 G( x  _  c' L5 y! J3 X9 I8 LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 T, q1 B# P9 O* r: F& i1 Mlive up to one’s reputation
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; X! ?1 W/ H" w! s- i( y  S9. 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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  y* I& X) j1 g( A* f天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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1 n' s- |! `8 s2 I- y10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

$ ?# R* F: l4 ^; W" LHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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4 w/ h) U% k$ u11. 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.

+ y# \6 W# C" c7 F) p12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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& Q8 m9 K9 V0 p0 N# dAll 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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' t' I, r+ O; ?13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

4 t0 d; s7 t; q' ?8 I2 s; n+ LWith 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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7 B. o: I8 @. E14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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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3 s, X+ r( j5 N6 h, {2 H' e15. 吃一堑，长一智。

' W( O) y- W8 {8 UA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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4 r7 T7 r- E( B16. “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.
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8 C/ X) r- |- @借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

; X4 O  X6 N* A/ G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。

5 q# ~9 `/ {- W( wI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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' k. ], ?3 g) d$ A+ K3 Q  v哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

$ A* V  k% F/ t2 H18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

* J  k* m4 S0 m8 g/ C: NHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  O2 l, |3 {% Q! M3 n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/ [( T: j) {! iThe 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

. Q4 p9 x8 `( w( i9 r! \+ x20. 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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8 C8 ]1 g/ V( n0 p* o4 y+ r* fHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; V0 L- I3 C' ]billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ R& g& q$ l) u# g4 c0 h) m( J上周日中午你去大统华了吗