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。

+ F, @: O# }8 D2 H( O# |She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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: A9 _3 n& T8 D1 |5 J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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% f5 F/ m' t$ C) G5 W& k动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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4 Z6 X) Y) e1 u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
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. y6 ^2 ~: T  N, q$ m- B- ]$ g2. 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;
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/ f% X' H9 r& J$ K, P' Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. c, w! K2 k# GIt 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。

  N/ `/ J4 i9 p+ e* gHe 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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3 t) m; F5 A4 y+ J  X2 w$ m5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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4 o; |" I6 K7 H! T5 |The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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& [% t  v7 c3 ^* \( w0 ZThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

& L/ f+ P) ~6 TIf 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.
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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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6 D3 m4 G5 t6 q- }- W1 c3 U& M2 b1 IHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

8 m5 r. t6 k! E& ]7 c6 s- ]! X7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

3 b9 }" N) F; R: KThis 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。

0 Q/ _$ F# b. T. x2 |It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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! H, I( `8 z( m2 _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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

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’.”

  L* v  q- n. U8 V+ l画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

. e4 o/ W/ ?& U3 x& l1 t5 R11. 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.

2 d: `  n+ s9 f/ W0 Q* @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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0 c. ^. [5 s; U% G13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

5 g' c( Z! {. s2 F6 x8 ^( n: m1 S4 i扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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& e* j  M- @, N" X* G8 f) {14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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# R0 L- z0 s* t0 ~1 gA leopard can’t change its spots.

4 \6 @, w% D  w* E. C( B. w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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) z. y7 E- ~4 X8 G0 c4 t# m15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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/ T$ D1 q* u6 g5 PA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

7 a2 q! X& C! Q* m- t' q' ~% Q16. “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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

, B4 Y% P" j0 S, W  q8 o# N6 b18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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" e' `  V6 `& J9 q, E6 x8 x: }He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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' p9 t* y# s4 @6 \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

20. 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

2 V- f; k4 X$ Y上周日中午你去大统华了吗