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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1 }1 g: f% r$ F! Q9 EShe 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.

; \! g' E1 F. A8 A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

# j/ C6 L7 D0 k3 p' k# |* T+ M7 n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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$ }- n" ~$ I, d& \) ~( V  C2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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  t! t" O% k5 N, G+ PHe 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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* T# |; B& M: o  mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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0 i* F1 a. J4 J% C6 `1 X  W3. 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。

/ w; @  D5 _$ ~4 g0 m% |He 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.

5 I% Q9 f$ i( \9 S$ ]5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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5 F  m, ]5 D0 L% j9 X1 tThe 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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; S0 Z, _% H/ f$ q% ~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.
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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。

$ [* u  i+ y$ v# g- \, YHe 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。

This 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.
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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.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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* c8 R" `3 i) d  [, D! Zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

- N& H- d' |! K$ Q/ R% s7 HMy 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”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

! {8 D) R' b* U+ Y: e" b8 w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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7 w6 `4 ?4 v5 u* f) `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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6 j: k1 A% `* t12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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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.

# F+ ~3 u8 o) P* H. M; T13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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) s1 G2 d! |( a( I, YWith 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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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

, h5 Z: r9 D6 ~" H* `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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$ q0 r& C. ]0 b: @- {. `15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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8 G  ~9 \, A- ]5 MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

; e+ c) }+ X! C4 ~# t$ F# 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。

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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! k* q# E  q8 p! x2 {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.

& h5 g+ |) x0 H+ a  u' q& H% M煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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1 Y9 a7 W0 d7 L+ r17. 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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- k; E' W5 V. T7 d" `* m( }. G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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4 k7 H: T2 e. U- c/ I. P; }$ DHe 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。
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; l, m' G5 F+ X/ \9 t+ K% n& K! FThe 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.
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/ d  I% P4 q- T7 d3 r+ G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。

* E! c- V/ Z  ^) f0 H  M! }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

" ~! V4 c( _8 \上周日中午你去大统华了吗