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。

  k2 N+ Y! y  o( x4 M- t1 o7 w: p& xShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

& O" Q; K2 A; {! LShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

' z3 y' n( q' ?+ Z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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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. p  a7 ?4 D- k) QHe 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;
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2 U/ i& _$ X8 Y- }- Grefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, C% \- k8 N; S' |# ~+ H% |It 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。

' C, _+ d0 w/ Z4 QHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

  Y( [- i; t. {9 R0 o8 H9 T5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 t5 F5 Q8 k5 EThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

% ?9 Y+ Z! j4 J; Z7 p1 [4 W5 ^If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

4 e- `2 h8 g/ i0 P2 J( 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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3 a+ g7 Y3 O) J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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: F1 I2 R: U& q& A5 fHe 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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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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. z6 q4 c5 [$ |2 _( ^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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4 C& u4 ^7 X+ b9 P7 T8. 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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- n$ i0 y7 U4 A# u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

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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% C2 X; p4 c0 q. }2 XMy 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

, a0 M0 Z8 k7 E- P" \10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

5 B# N( K  D& M& p3 |# lHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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( A4 @! F$ b( A5 ]画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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! ~! S0 o& A7 V& `% y3 J, ?8 n11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

; ?; q  n: j+ o  m5 s; o* O$ c0 E' m( WTom 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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

* N: D# c* u% C3 G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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/ W* F) H3 Y; W( n& T5 G& u13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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* S' P2 X* I! |# p6 n+ q3 PWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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9 Y! [- f9 u' w$ s( P- m( [" LA leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

# V7 y2 N# z9 ^15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

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。

7 N* G4 F+ X8 }- E6 oTalk 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.

7 ]% t  X# o: f5 k$ \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
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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  T5 y7 J# W5 h2 v- C# y9 T8 \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
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% \# j$ Q3 k7 f7 L7 Q8 L18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

: _2 x# b3 ~6 t& T0 I- E胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; w, m; K3 W* }: J19. 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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: u" f) Z4 G( b% _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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0 c7 k3 a( H& w5 l% U扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

% Y! z3 [( N) r! L20. 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。

% [$ o) j5 g( F  t4 k0 ZHe 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

$ G1 x( M- j7 V, c上周日中午你去大统华了吗