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.

. X) v6 t. b1 g$ ?6 X% w1 b* d0 d, x动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

2 w, l5 {8 B; J* Y3 J- ~& ~0 k动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

7 v$ z, m% C2 P# C. w动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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4 ^5 l7 x$ f8 Y* d' j* x( r4 h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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

: r0 {, g/ b' Y+ N3 i9 pHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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* |/ G& p0 B+ Y; }; Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, l9 r+ d" a6 S2 a( iIt 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。

: T$ w9 J* \, i! M9 [( H: RHe 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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- T# S& I& i! `0 D3 `8 ^' u. O' D, j5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

7 ~+ a: g4 g. s  D% N+ r$ C1 YThe 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.

4 v# Z4 t* u+ }( h0 D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。

4 f, H& j0 f5 W& p+ I/ t: D$ L8 qHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. ?' o" d: ]# s) IThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& L7 b. }' O% W/ K张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

) L# u2 Z* L* Y1 g; V8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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7 \' L2 S8 C% b$ TIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

1 O0 h/ ?, }2 x; B7 W( t! S. y2 {deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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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& N* z/ R6 X7 q天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

8 F6 H8 T( D& A4 z' R# `2 w10. 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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5 X  q  j7 [! z7 ~9 [画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) c& I5 Q0 G$ ~0 t. Y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

3 b& u5 F8 B* R0 V( I) b) J" sTom 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.
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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.
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# Z& x! [. q$ q/ j  C% |% T" \13. 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.
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! R/ e" ^& F4 D- `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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2 E* ~6 `% z5 X& u- e7 p. h14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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! h  M/ n0 z* {% O+ zA leopard can’t change its spots.

& M0 v2 w' k3 |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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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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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。

' L% S4 F1 {) u5 ^2 j3 Z; nTalk 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.

$ m) J3 n/ S  t+ U9 k3 F% c+ o5 C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.

/ F4 L2 h- v+ u* a4 {$ m9 l7 j! k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.

& r- i) F( k8 Q) N/ ?& [% d% t胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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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: m% Z  w- ^0 v8 T' G8 kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# J$ o- }# S! ]6 m0 U% H1 MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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* A3 N. ~# H! L" L# h) @, r; o扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

( v+ F6 K- Q2 R! d2 D: Y上周日中午你去大统华了吗