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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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

6 r# l' w7 _0 r0 `3 P. b动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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% }; Z$ J( b, t/ x0 S1 ]1 E; K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.
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0 a" P1 ]7 k9 {  z刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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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.
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, e) J% j- X- M" {2 z. b% P不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

1 a; r+ v) l* \. e* e' l- V0 v1 zrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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1 K5 j( a0 W( w$ z. k, y7 c. U, m3. 十年树木，百年树人。

7 n) |. q' d7 A+ xIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

7 _7 N( m+ J# C! V4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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6 Q' n% Y& D3 L( Q& ]He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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1 _4 i7 Y! X0 G石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

- F$ e3 L* y  p0 U1 B. r5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

( b3 a+ i. t3 g! K3 [1 f. j6 iThe 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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

9 N4 R4 `, R/ d9 E# b7 g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。

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。
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" a' `6 d1 b7 A5 gThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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( M- Y3 J4 c) _: C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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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;
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) v# e3 p' P9 f% Llive up to one’s reputation

1 j; m; G% m; L' R: U9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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, @4 l4 _* |  Y7 F1 p1 m10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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; B1 ^( n, Z/ R. B' \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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5 n7 F6 _9 F3 s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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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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

+ U" P0 Q) M1 h! h) A14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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。
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5 l) w- y( `% p7 TA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

; ?: {; M% y. J7 G) b16. “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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' f* R1 N* E& C. r! N* gTalk 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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. V, T* s/ s- d) A; Y- x借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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8 w6 N- g& P: `5 h3 D2 |* w煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

1 q4 p  F. h9 n, f# w( X17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

% a" n! O3 ]; @5 @2 o# J) jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

) `/ ], w" ]2 G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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& D# R2 ?7 H" k- z# Y/ `& d1 W4 E0 SHe 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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) v6 w# r$ ~6 [, ~- S! [" m19. 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
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* g5 Q- F& I9 @- y$ ^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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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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗