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.
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0 b' x: C- m1 N  I动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

, G& t0 N! l! t6 {& m动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 P  P$ e# n( h动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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2 X6 d% {7 j' R2 ~; F0 V* E( W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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1 H: p- m; e( j8 [3 W  c2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

* n0 k* N, @* ~' n: W: uHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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8 X6 S% i3 |# \* h( }* l不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

7 D0 @" V( v0 Nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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7 l) c. M$ ^1 D( S5 eIt 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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

# V* s: L" E. D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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

7 X( K) z% G/ Y3 X8 mIf 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。

8 d+ y+ l8 {: \% Y9 R. OHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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5 p: t4 x# A  f5 C5 v! U7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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/ J$ }4 }9 g8 T/ F7 ^  p  Y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

, z% T0 M% h2 @! a) Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

2 x6 d( q7 Z/ T5 e8 F/ }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。”
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# {* X$ y" D* F$ PMy 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.”

4 ^3 J" U% m+ L( w( `' F- D天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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& U& t- b. j" r  Z, `/ |* A9 Z10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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# r$ h/ J% B- I, l0 W' N2 l! Y11. 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.

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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All good things must come to end.
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! b* O! E" {( T4 E/ z8 VAll feasts must come to an end.

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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; p! J1 n6 a/ A1 U) ^7 d; j13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

) x+ d5 `  Z$ N) aWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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* Y6 k; j" |* d7 [  k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。

, H* ^7 i% K# \3 M6 U3 M9 \3 NA leopard can’t change its spots.
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2 R+ ^5 g- ]- Y5 a4 G3 b0 y% M. 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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4 L) K  W3 S/ a15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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0 c: G9 I7 w# d1 c( [+ Z  LA 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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) a4 @/ {% N, B" _* bTalk 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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  Q7 j% U: Q2 `) l. W借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

' e/ @0 W2 C5 a% K% j) A8 V% }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。
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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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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9 C6 G& w% w8 h% N* e5 [8 QHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

) I# m) b/ d1 o+ d1 X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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

3 ~' Y' s$ ?  ~. WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

/ B3 h+ L1 V, j扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) ]( y# [- s) i  f1 u- K20. 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。

' T8 L$ Q# b: C' @He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 {  {+ A1 m; u* j5 ibillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

, i2 C+ E2 e" N0 i上周日中午你去大统华了吗