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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5 ^3 d/ ?/ d# \& SShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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  `+ ~( c$ ?, S- M% i# ^1 s% qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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7 p0 q* U; N$ Z4 E1 k6 u# D, h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

' B1 R. l' D4 C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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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' f# @8 p% h9 }& z1 ~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。

3 z% }3 O2 G9 K" \( R$ oHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

% l% R" `. n  o- A  d4 J  Y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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1 g2 i) O3 j) }0 U% ]It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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/ I+ C1 ]6 U9 \8 O/ ?, v4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

- V: r3 P1 s9 \) i4 U6 `: GHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

! G: ]; n: l3 ]$ F; C% F3 L9 h2 a石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 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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4 B* T$ m+ \" j2 X7 p( B4 f$ gIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

1 \& j# U3 p1 K" S% N  h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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0 z# Q" N' Y3 t2 |+ W& d9 _6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

6 Z; J4 D! L2 d6 O! Z' `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。

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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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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# |3 H* @( u3 _- y1 Y; q( ^live up to one’s reputation

; s4 V9 [8 x* {8 z9. 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.”
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2 B8 `! A; P! D( H天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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8 h$ l1 S) t! T. k10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。

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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% X) @9 q% C5 s3 P  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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

: y) w: C6 h, c' G6 M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。

! S' ^0 Z# f8 }7 w1 KWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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# B; o1 W/ m0 y, X) h4 ]9 a扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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( N' |6 D0 z" |$ k( b14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

0 V9 P5 T$ k1 V) A# d  h/ x江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

; L2 c# e" d" V# U9 }# ?15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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.

8 M. Y7 ~& L  p3 J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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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。

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

1 X9 r: Z' P' N9 {18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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3 H/ Y: P& s( Y  C! j( R胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

6 w0 a" [' W% j  M) k# z19. 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

; K' c4 }4 ?* d! Q8 V5 A20. 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。

; n1 |7 \  s4 @9 LHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# j& m# w0 e+ W- |- j7 j2 a( Gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

: m) }+ u: C7 K/ Z1 G: o上周日中午你去大统华了吗