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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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  p. d# \7 |$ K: z/ iShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

" d4 v& Y  Y% O, W$ h: E* A动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

: c+ q5 P& @. S5 G, o2 g' a, i动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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2 S/ k# m" c: U8 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

6 J) S  \  G1 Y# ]; }1 b2. 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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1 M5 r: f! |( F3 k7 q' \不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

2 {+ W& Y6 B; crefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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% f9 V3 r: _5 @: g+ C2 CIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

& P$ s: {; S5 P: e4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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8 R' m# z8 t& i! W6 ?1 ~% g4 ]  hHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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1 c& p* k, i5 n- j2 {( Q0 ~石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

7 {7 z5 n3 M$ X1 {0 jThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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* F* b! |2 G: ~6 z- I% r5 jIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.

) U9 W- R8 c+ T* `, L( m$ M6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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2 p6 @& f" A  v' E: X* hHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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0 f. D2 ?' y4 X8 |' x- nThis 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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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. a4 P+ s. Y% T3 l( C名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

( ?$ ?% X/ c, S7 j1 Ydeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

3 [, L! B, o; W- i6 ?" D/ 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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6 A: p/ x9 K5 m' c# c" j, u10. 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’.”
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( z/ d; f6 G0 u' y7 o画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

4 x+ E, C7 `! z' q; k. k+ J( Y7 r1 d! m11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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# P; G* T' r: H9 n& SWith 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.

3 W. X2 p7 @# W7 s% q$ [7 Z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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- Q' {& E6 g! q0 s2 ?6 G8 R9 MA leopard can’t change its spots.

* j! d# g7 I! Q江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

4 e/ ~; A& W! L# ~7 F7 }6 e5 \15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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; v: G% I: [" ~) {5 p: p; ?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。

$ J- }9 c/ I' D3 j8 R( s5 STalk 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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4 B6 Y( T$ ]6 J; 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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  w- l6 d6 R( j6 e+ v' P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
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

/ O# ?$ Y& s5 ^0 ?- J7 B2 ?1 I% PI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

0 B6 ?2 y! I. x( c6 O( X; E哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

$ O3 ~5 w# L7 U9 o7 Q" X胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

: h8 H6 U& X+ ]& `& q/ v8 C19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

( J/ j# K9 G! ^; y3 Y20. 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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- v( ^& Y7 p6 E1 N; }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