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。

& l" A: M' x  Z4 uShe 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
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4 q7 _/ Q& }# K* d- I4 |: N6 p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

; x' |$ ]2 [* q  a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

* _$ m" {0 w0 o6 c+ K/ s2. 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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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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  E# q: Q3 h" D3. 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.

! C% J' e1 W, u: R8 I% o/ r4. 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.

8 z+ v4 G' T9 d% U' z" ~石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

! l$ w* D& a% p# S7 \7 Z5. 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.
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6 T9 g" ]7 B! b2 y2 a7 AIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

2 p5 g3 u8 w$ b8 T5 h- V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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8 p" [4 d+ W% ~) k7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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2 L- f" N0 z- L$ H% G% GThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

4 M; }& y+ u% z; u" P0 C( |0 M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。
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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;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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。”

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.

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’.”
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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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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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1 G4 Q2 A1 [/ m. e7 a7 g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。
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All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

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.
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( \  G. @  H% m, X6 K13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

1 f; \1 A5 c) s! g* h0 ?3 I扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

* _/ J: M* ^% M6 }5 i; B# M5 e# G14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

5 d7 P7 K# [  O: [江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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3 Q5 T* ~; X8 ZA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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+ ?% ?5 _- [* c: a6 L16. “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。

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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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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

' U& l! |" _8 R4 {% |$ L17. 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.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

; P! ]& ^' b# ^( l% V( ?2 W18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

8 m# B0 w2 u" i% xHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

2 i( f5 f7 M& L) ]2 N胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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.
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* q$ k# r! J" c8 v+ I* NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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' c7 w. @) Z. A9 T' l扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

" L5 f! b5 p% K9 sHe 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