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.

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

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

& A% G, l/ o7 ^6 e) x# A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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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% s  B! [/ [  \, |! z0 R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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3 J* s9 f2 g8 k& `& s* nHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

! K2 h0 y# ?; W( p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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 ?1 m: x9 C% L4 {3. 十年树木，百年树人。

* o$ l9 a( U- `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。

He 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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* y5 Y4 J7 E( S, d# w0 dThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If 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。

  J' o- ~7 B( [1 c) VHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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& ^5 F3 F5 _0 d$ K4 S7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

1 a$ b- y" C2 }2 s; QThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

: \2 [! u$ m" N& O( Z7 Z& E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.
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/ _) M# [$ x2 V/ I1 O名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: t' X4 @, _) I# a" q; vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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, H" G$ d; z6 T2 Y( ~  ~live up to one’s reputation
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) O6 q; i# {0 g4 t) I+ j6 j% ]- X* e9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 N0 e0 w/ Z* \' m3 e) K* H1 `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.
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% a6 H4 W8 t: m0 ]10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

! Y8 Q6 y: z; \1 i9 H; xHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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; x  T4 t. ]& j1 C' i11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

, Y6 Q9 L5 Y! k: C8 J9 ^' {% g8 zTom 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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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2 z7 H+ U% [3 ~) @% U/ C: JAll good things must come to end.

: T- i8 n0 u  \" R5 v9 H+ YAll feasts must come to an end.

1 i. ~9 v) X( M) c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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. W: c% I& {, w) t13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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+ C3 G, C* V5 N% w5 wWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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' C5 Z, n* N. e# L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.

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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: |" W9 z. t) ?5 R* d15. 吃一堑，长一智。

0 t  o% J5 ~% D4 P9 b2 bA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。
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7 v( a" M; R2 f. ?, `& ]* L1 DTalk 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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& k" l7 ^0 y! W: @* X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。

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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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: p! E6 |6 }5 z( v. IHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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( h- B( U; N9 T0 B2 [胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

; f  |0 ^6 m! y( P& e19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

7 u: W5 S, C# i. k, n) {The 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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! m) Y* D9 ?+ o- z: g扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

- P4 l; u* W4 _: [% `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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% N/ ^" b8 b3 d  D5 jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

- k, x6 t# y+ X. k上周日中午你去大统华了吗