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。

) d$ M9 `- O) T$ l( c. ]- pShe 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

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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

3 m3 ?, F" ?' w$ `1 q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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; {, P8 O, g) ~, J3 F2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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% O& i# i8 N/ o4 bHe 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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/ V) N, c& z, h" Wrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

, y! a* k2 D$ R0 Q3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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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。

3 p0 K2 e/ j& J2 D: ~' JHe 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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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1 w8 ]8 ~1 G" \+ N9 [' a) pThe 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.
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+ `) R! `- P* EIf 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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

. S4 x8 }  T, m" \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。

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

* _  d( }: V# X* m5 c4 _8 z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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* f0 N/ Q8 K& G) v3 V  L8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

; n2 ~, h; \7 E5 VIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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  R: `+ L& W6 }; n& ^6 @5 S名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

& |6 |% {$ P& m' b* `7 iMy 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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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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+ g% M3 d" x$ K+ g5 dHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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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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 U( p0 j4 V: D; q4 V0 a3 i3 X12. 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.

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.

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。

2 K* s2 Z9 P8 e& w3 FA leopard can’t change its spots.
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$ K* p  y9 |2 E  a8 a) B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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  @$ @, f9 `% M9 |15. 吃一堑，长一智。

4 `# C( H5 a, T9 y+ A1 o" M( ~A 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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5 U  q# t6 t; d! W! R) ], ~' 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.
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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.

7 y, ~3 H4 m' w2 M+ \借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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" d. Q. C) N: Z7 ~3 G煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

! E+ k: M$ i" e" ]/ d; L17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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4 s, {2 P' c4 YI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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 z0 ?: `8 J) n- i9 d- I9 }He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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$ R) C+ ^. c0 D4 Y+ X. D! E* Q8 XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The 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。
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1 j, ~# w. u* i, z1 CHe 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

+ R8 U* p% y8 a+ W# C1 @4 f上周日中午你去大统华了吗