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.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 L3 R% ]* E& U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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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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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! R* g8 m& s# j1 B6 r2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

! r% ]- ?' [: v. u; ^! }He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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0 N2 ^. D7 p3 [' M' S! I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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) w! y/ m* m. U9 P; srefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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7 f* I+ E8 m. e, V: ^; W3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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0 j) m# f$ t% c3 r& v: L& K" ^) k8 oIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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' O( B* O3 u* k; g; u1 MHe 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

& J) H# V- i, A* zThe 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.

5 t6 e* A5 v, `1 o5 Q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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

1 @% d1 v3 e$ _7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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  q0 Z+ W/ j( ^9 q5 Z* n9 `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.

# U: \4 V" l) j- w) C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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& M% N0 Z) T$ c; O; p* L# pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

, r# W2 t( O7 d; D9 Q  w名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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' {3 |2 I! M6 @- P7 A- Ideserve the reputation one enjoys;

! g% e; M; D, \; K2 D) Q( ]live up to one’s reputation

3 J* v, r" q) g9. 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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6 M  R5 J) v8 ?' H8 m; x10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

1 j; Q8 u! v) a% {' I3 ?% o画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

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.

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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5 c. q1 J* j8 {# d7 L12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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' b8 c/ o% v" G: SAll good things must come to end.
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' n7 ^' ]. I  ?: h# [- TAll feasts must come to an end.

' ~7 k" ^9 f: C" J$ 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.

% y5 ^1 Y' b  N  p0 F; f13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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+ b8 h. R6 I$ b$ K2 k' xWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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% j7 ^3 B' \& B- j* g( F- u  H# yA leopard can’t change its spots.
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& v/ q. P9 K9 X江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

' R0 B* m) J" v4 `9 s15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  k- k0 J- d- W16. “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.
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- G  ^6 x+ w- B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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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" y( i; U# A, @' g( p煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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2 X! d! `2 J. U17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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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. g  R. e* `5 d  H" h18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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* W) z! r3 v4 M% O: K* EHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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; o, J' y6 ^+ w+ [胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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8 h$ g# N$ n: t" Y19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 R: q# d6 y' m) j& P/ l' NThe 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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' e, ^8 j4 n) P20. 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

+ |& b) \8 O& g% o5 r$ d/ [( Z  y8 x上周日中午你去大统华了吗