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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, [0 e" p( ~, K- i1 qShe 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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( J( `( B$ `$ T4 ~- f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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$ L+ x+ w/ i, m" o* J动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

3 b' A# P, b  p+ R7 ^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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 y. V! L9 K# W! A! h) _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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5 {1 Y, v7 `# h3 u  ^refuse to give up until all hope is gone

5 C0 E+ O/ j- h7 o/ m3. 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.
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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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

7 \3 I: {+ J# i- q# \. r% Z5. 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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) p5 Z/ u6 [8 T+ l% Z6 h% d' T2 BThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

* w" N/ B3 }5 [0 }) F! nIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

( d/ W. H* k: f- R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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  z; l( x- U3 k3 @6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

: D2 c" Z/ u$ U  bHe 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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4 @9 `' N$ ^% j) G% y0 N- ^0 G( CThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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) u; e$ R! A/ H* u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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4 t. Q4 C  u. J' _/ k* [3 ?/ RIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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+ s3 D& D0 k8 M* E" @* T名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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% v) r2 A% L* \5 {) Xdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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% ?6 S& R  e8 llive 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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" p2 \9 l6 P( d* G9 M* M, jMy 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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: e0 j/ ]6 Q- ~8 [- T7 k4 }9 qHe 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。

, ~, H5 U+ ?/ d- L/ qTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

' f+ u% |: n+ L$ y* _, e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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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- U& I9 I3 a) }+ K. @' L5 g. V7 Q* e( FAll feasts must come to an end.

. ^2 P3 E) {( k4 B% P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.

+ M" M+ l' u7 P9 S13. 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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: a- n- h( }0 X! f" h6 O/ R扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.
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  `( Z; b7 H9 j( o7 U: `15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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, m5 Y& e; {; x9 ^$ gA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

7 I5 z: S7 @) H16. “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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4 S* k/ _- I; m) x: F, m# v: iTalk 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.

# B* c8 K  n- P  o3 D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.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

" K1 `. n( {3 ~' Z* X+ V8 G0 i17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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& Y( G1 \/ [# a0 J+ zI 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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: O% R; o2 K. k( K/ a: X18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

- D; p3 `# |0 F  i5 _9 ^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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

* g! p  _! ?( i0 O3 k; NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) F' N$ x6 `! M/ ~, C5 R0 a扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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$ W3 x- F! S5 H, Q20. 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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# d' r) A+ d. \6 P0 w/ x; Z  sHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
  V% |& {# b5 @! X2 M+ a! @3 vbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗