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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9 N, F! N! D$ T2 }She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

5 f# T! w$ U5 }! B; f9 `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

% H& _4 J6 T' [; d4 m; K' C8 f4 h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

: y! Z4 w( d. J' K9 E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

& V" N9 |7 K) h) Z/ e2. 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.

/ z0 a& P5 Y* j0 L& X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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3 I; R2 R) ?1 H$ _5 W7 r1 G: y3 Jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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: F0 O0 G+ L1 F. i& V/ y3. 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。

) z/ [# A, Z5 ?# X1 ?/ z* H( D5 cHe 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.

' ^9 \; U1 A5 a1 X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

/ k* J7 ~: D' mThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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& L' _8 B7 {( b6 yThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. i5 a" l, H  [* ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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  C: G1 s) j' Q* K. }: ?3 k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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$ \5 I8 u5 h" D' u8 jHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 k0 @) ^2 [7 @# \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.
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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.
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3 V( `' u! a3 _0 m, {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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2 C2 X+ w" F+ _8 @: m$ ?名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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" S% V$ U: J1 ~6 X. h9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

, h" U  Q3 r2 y* w9 U" gMy 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' a3 F5 \% Y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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3 P! N' }2 u/ z1 I7 A: E7 PHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

8 d6 u9 b6 T" }; H  {画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) X; K/ v/ U1 k11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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3 B% S7 M2 \: L& ATom 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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: J/ X' }$ Y4 y* \) z& U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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) G& M. F% k$ [' o. B' z$ D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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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.

0 i3 o  E( p9 f: R1 n* W3 O13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

- @" B( E" |# r. Z3 p# u" IWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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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& R. z" S* R) ^& }15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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, a& k9 o1 t! p/ \5 N) iA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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+ q' v7 |, [8 y7 S; I0 }8 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。

" F: _/ {: Q- f3 HTalk 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.

; o4 P3 P$ [$ k/ b# t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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0 l# E* Z+ L9 `, n- k- v% B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.
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# K; b# _' R8 Y, A. v5 I/ `' i哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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' m4 f6 |! L& s8 T! B- w! H18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& }( o' T5 W. ?8 B3 q& S! J* NHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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4 u6 r  G& w- x. |' R( j胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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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# J0 k  G9 A+ U% x* c, |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
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- P( H+ F1 x3 X# M, {. 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。

. b+ }* a" f- ~% O3 \% ?4 QHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 f8 `% Y4 e8 H0 `billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

  A6 c# w4 e+ z; ?+ d上周日中午你去大统华了吗