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.

& S3 P) T) j5 o/ o+ xShe 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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9 V4 \$ D* D2 Y2 o, W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
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: \$ z7 l% w! Q9 I3 |( S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

4 T4 f9 J/ h. x2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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" I- z. e0 M( ^0 F4 _3 H" L+ Q! C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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0 z) B& }' p. L& ^: E! P- Q4 ]refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

* H3 o% r6 @0 kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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; y2 E0 k) d$ _4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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" J) l$ o; I& FHe 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.

; p# m7 t0 L0 y' ?7 C, @+ f" {( e5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

- _( n. |8 P" s8 tIf 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。

% M/ p- c/ x) F% F9 r/ [6 ^$ G0 C: cHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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- X) }9 Q5 y. W- ?7 T* A( F7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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4 m$ Q# l, m5 y4 }8 z3 F' BThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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6 g% V4 h' j- r) s3 A: [7 m9 }0 f8 a# g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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 l0 L: S: ]  K2 @1 Plive 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.”

: |3 p; r2 X+ \& w% }, P" `天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 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’.”

& f& {2 k8 X. q( u& n画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

5 f6 i5 H- _& H' w+ _! ?" d11. 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.

/ s: c$ z9 e! G. G/ I; C5 H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.

) @# S- J/ T/ h4 T- Y# \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

* [! P; f: H% G3 g5 f/ G" LAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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. w- e3 T/ M" ^& [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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* |9 f- \9 i& h, F( v, a4 d1 r8 ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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1 j( d% L: O" X( l. j9 T2 B: X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。

0 w$ w7 }2 x' I8 v) j$ Q; QA 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.

, V. P" W- y; c' T, z$ p# R% S15. 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。
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. I) \3 Z' o# l3 X0 \Talk 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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7 x4 K2 c8 u# c* l  t, J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.

. ^/ T$ z$ r2 ]0 v, W& \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。

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

3 i% F& k( @' Q18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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4 e. [. P, `! b' d" GHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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.
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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

& C; }# P8 E' F0 I% _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

' \' g0 Y1 n+ ?, X上周日中午你去大统华了吗