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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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6 `) Z+ N2 {+ R. _& K! C* M; H动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

  E9 z& x6 y9 N& q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 M6 o1 r# D8 Y5 u, C8 M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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& t$ T; ~3 ~6 `# I4 s6 m$ n" r+ D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。

: i8 l0 M% J: d8 ?, E$ N+ |: G& [5 gHe 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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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, Y- V0 h" P0 h- q; hIt 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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: f& S- Z$ ~( C0 D" LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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( \' M; x) N, F1 ]% N# W* ^4 I  }, T石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

. P! ~$ y7 H& t' q+ z  }/ M5. 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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6 f% x: [) [% v8 D7 ^' U1 lThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

* n' G$ v( p' o5 kIf 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.

1 j7 p  R! `9 [  R9 a# U( b, S6 c& O6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

$ _- ?, L7 H& C" ?This 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。
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0 i  b9 H# n, n! PIt’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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live up to one’s reputation

, r- t+ Z& j0 k9. 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.”

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.
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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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' z* R$ E' t0 J' R; p7 STom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

+ E' Y6 Y0 ?( m( z: i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.
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6 ?+ L8 R2 Z$ v7 A* ?* B) y+ Y12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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% h* D( n. A8 O$ d. l5 H7 ]All good things must come to end.
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: R0 r* t2 T3 j3 T+ fAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

9 W/ U6 o* {$ J! A& g- W; ?: yWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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7 ^  w2 U* L: a2 q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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0 Y( U/ N9 M5 p: _! R6 x- e2 a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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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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) Q3 l5 t% e% L- o9 D- L) ]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。

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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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( J, M( s' c& h. {2 _  Z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。

/ Z, h. _4 r1 w* q6 E/ r7 f& ]I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

6 @+ }7 {1 D7 c哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

. ?% _+ N0 v9 X2 P( ~, x9 ~# r, IHe 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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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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0 }) C3 H* |( _4 FThe 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

- H9 N4 r9 ]* J20. 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

, K" e8 q1 h6 G上周日中午你去大统华了吗