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.

8 D% S& ^0 j- v, D& v. K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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; d) W! i, {& B+ S# G) v5 v动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

- s; @& ~5 ?6 s9 p5 z2 a7 k刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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7 c9 B0 d3 D1 P& S4 S" u% G2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

3 a6 {7 g0 f% U/ P/ u2 f2 rHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

( l3 Y' J* @0 I5 {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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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& a& m7 _6 A, Y& [' z7 K3 K3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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( ?/ r, m) n' I( T5 wIt 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。

He 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.

" }: ?; M: Y* Z* t5. 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.
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2 z! I- h, _( r3 P, f. ]0 Z; ~The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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+ N1 f6 Z7 X3 F: H; o$ b. JIf 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.
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$ B- q$ A( |3 l' d  ?. @8 ~6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 q! e8 a! F. N- B- J6 o; T7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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/ _' g2 \- z0 c  }1 p* WThis 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。

9 v" I$ j0 t! Z5 G0 w0 ^: Z8 eIt’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;

7 P( G8 l, R- W8 llive up to one’s reputation
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! Y) M* w1 {+ r! H  [3 x* F: f9. 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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9 ]2 r( h/ Q! U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”。

" Q+ h1 w. E9 i- E* H0 p- a* FHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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2 @0 @  c; j# f! a, v3 h7 t画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

" h8 D7 X$ B3 [7 q2 X4 A0 @11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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! n+ k: e# Z$ {  ZTom 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.

" x# k' j0 R, p12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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5 O% D2 e- ?% tAll good things must come to end.

( L; m" y( `2 \0 S/ D) D5 KAll feasts must come to an end.

/ U3 k; }: b% m4 ?: j! ]; l% {+ @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 T, [# P0 }6 c: c' y9 H7 vWith 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.

5 F9 b: r& N4 L2 T& f3 C14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

. S7 i7 E1 O5 S! [7 x& D! T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。

* e- y) J8 O. a2 |) D+ C" pA 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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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.

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.

- \/ L7 B, t) T) Q) t借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。

) L5 m, H& ?+ e9 l, oI 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 h8 f' D' V0 R5 e( f* v% }18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

! a0 v: J& h  HHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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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7 x9 W" \. M6 [1 L$ n" TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

5 J# ~' Y* z, Y9 u# }" a) tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

7 [' W' i/ S6 a* J' U5 bHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
& F1 d1 q( |+ q" u$ g- q, B4 x5 C4 Dbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗