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。

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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8 f' f$ ^7 z- p+ L1 B' C4 l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

$ m! p; ^1 I$ ^0 U+ w他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

; z& d9 G! I) G' o) K( a4 }4 |9 @) t刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

, }' U. X3 D  v: V" ?+ C' V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

, u* ?- Y. K* H" q4 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;

- a) `- `8 u. K- Jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

9 o) P( L7 a% R" G* r3. 十年树木，百年树人。

& \3 m+ l6 ^2 _% j$ J" YIt 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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8 V1 Q6 u  D2 G& iHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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, j, f* J7 T& z/ K1 c. L  c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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" Z: f* r$ f& B9 SThe 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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* n7 u. h8 _5 o; }: qIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

8 y3 `( U1 C( I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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$ X# O( }# \5 N" L& \& p, T7 \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.

9 X! Q# j: w0 M% n0 k4 E: A- q  u: W& o7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

/ U  E) N& Z, U* O  |' iThis 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.

: Q% }- s5 U/ t3 ]8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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0 V! k9 ^0 M/ nIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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* }7 U  o8 h7 w- t名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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% ?1 y8 s- Y0 k7 z& B$ @, klive 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。”

! D0 l$ p2 w5 |0 t, w* x/ ?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.”

4 h9 `. R% ~, J" K7 n5 `3 k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”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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' o0 f  c- D' ?  a; o9 X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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/ S/ [' U& E; X4 D  UTom 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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

# |8 z  ~/ z# K) l. PAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

" P2 j  J; n9 s* s! N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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

5 g" l5 V% l1 `" s0 JWith 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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8 D; Q. g7 R4 a, p1 z: n( O7 y14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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# ^0 g* D. N- W: |$ F. s4 D# U* Y+ }A leopard can’t change its spots.

+ ?3 k& y; G% Z' C+ D* }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。

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

1 p8 n" B3 b; _* {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。

$ n. k2 `& S9 S6 _/ M" S% ETalk 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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$ E- Q4 J4 \( @' I( D借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

7 F$ Y# ?0 s% }- z0 ?/ M# \煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 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
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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。
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$ G/ |4 |2 U" A  x1 qThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

4 \2 ~- ]" W- ^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。
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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
4 G+ P: b: o9 Sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

5 `# S  {% x$ B3 ]) i; `上周日中午你去大统华了吗