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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 r3 z$ m" L9 a. R: E- M- @- I动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

: N# r3 R0 O! @) x  w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

' p+ s8 i2 J( l% u7 [8 @( J1 C2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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# P7 [. [, f' |, g, ^, E5 q+ H0 h$ ^1 EHe 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;

: J/ k/ S' b) K& h8 b, Mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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" O5 i0 X) X7 {' X  r4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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* c( O. \. c" b, J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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- A8 W, r! r3 r0 D, i) m5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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/ ~$ `$ N7 G) o0 yThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The 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.
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% Y- a; h% s' Q0 Q' c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.

" a9 q9 `3 h  N# i) J  r6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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! ?4 G8 z+ \- E3 l8 s) w4 C$ I4 {He 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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+ X/ Z9 D% L' s$ A$ l! H/ f7 NThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- h4 D/ _0 d" w- m1 J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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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7 I! H+ t1 f4 n$ g' |* b: slive 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。”
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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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

; w& i  h! R( Y10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

" T1 E8 R, }0 N3 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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11. 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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' V/ r4 U$ N+ P6 O+ f) [1 ^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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# U3 u$ E$ _6 nAll 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

5 t8 d1 F1 U! e* d, Y扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

% G: ], u0 ?3 R$ `% NA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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。

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。
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; ?% N4 S3 y9 W+ f) r2 E7 pTalk 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.

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
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/ n4 p- V# s2 }1 ^5 R# P9 n0 G) T17. 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.

* {; _, k  C6 t7 H3 m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.
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% f4 z( b7 |0 S1 x- o胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

' e- B- X8 L  B( b9 T19. 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.

! n+ j4 k9 O" k' ~- s' u( AThe 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
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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。

* y( S' P1 T+ q7 q+ |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 ]! q# I' S( x上周日中午你去大统华了吗