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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9 _7 L) k: H( f" r8 G5 y- q* }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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% z1 H7 s0 ]% c6 l  J* ]动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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6 ?7 g# w) F6 G  d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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

) i$ s1 P, }8 K, z2. 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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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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! Z2 }  ]" c2 D6 o  R* \* c) \* x5 [3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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  d# k- ^0 ^2 E  C3 O# m4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

( \% w+ y; L! I9 D5 uHe 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.

8 j+ Z; d3 B+ W! [8 z5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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, P2 z5 m& V1 _. x; M2 j, `The 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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If 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。

, q! ]* `6 e% `6 v3 Y3 T* `He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

5 V& T8 Y+ S4 \! B+ M3 L6 ]张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

2 m  t( P4 x& L: [. _! n: b8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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3 O$ Q; a6 y4 @- N# v& `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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% R1 ^- z* W6 c) L1 Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”

0 J5 W# B/ _5 a, LMy 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.”

: c! \$ X, T7 O  R, \9 r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”。

( ?$ z; C# t3 q; a4 _7 x6 p& ?5 _He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

1 Y6 O5 [2 c. t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。
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! i+ {5 t; J% _6 nTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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。

0 }; q8 w/ @% v3 E9 x2 i6 G6 tAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

8 F; z% q- X0 L" ^9 h- M+ }7 Z6 O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.

* i& x  Z" N! M0 {- T$ ?13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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+ o( \) E5 a( ]6 F1 `5 E' \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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/ o# K- l& D* R+ M* V, i14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

- V- c- k5 Y, }$ p& ?' P  I江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

6 P+ W- ~+ [) q  s' c15. 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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2 i0 X' m$ y% V* E/ `) I6 X# d16. “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.

$ E) H9 F% F0 F0 x; U借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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. t! w+ J- J. s- Z煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

, E% O0 b( H$ ?8 k$ B; v5 z0 j17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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

. a1 I% M  Y, x9 i( j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

) ?0 P* I! V+ K$ p' H0 jHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

" {8 V" n( z3 }9 d  J$ {& z/ C  `胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

3 U$ H+ ?) T- C. }6 N  c% t' f$ _19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

" e0 g9 b- V* C0 GThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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8 Q' S: \% B5 ]& N2 WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

( A3 C* q/ @6 b4 d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。

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