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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- |% D: I, i. o, R  F. Q( OShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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9 M2 X$ P! [/ L# `. LShe 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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% h7 D: m3 {5 T0 W+ a动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

" g7 l7 h2 _) Z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.

4 @- e4 C4 e4 b4 x* |4 n, `1 Y刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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" E7 L. U2 K0 s  `: U8 q* X& M; _2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

  U' p, {" Y# b  EHe 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;

2 @0 o" ?$ T1 t, B4 _6 g) r* nrefuse 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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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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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8 G+ a+ Z$ }) T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。

& C& _0 u, E9 R* i7 t+ hThe 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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, h/ P. W; ?% P$ J/ g' U( Z3 GIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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- Q# O. Q% j, U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.

$ A! m* X7 ]2 D% T) U  F+ U  \- V7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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! R0 y# U# \: Q  TThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

8 B7 H( G! F+ i: q7 K' U# G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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; i5 ~7 m/ j; J# f, q! n4 rIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

3 N3 |1 P7 A# ~: E1 Y2 D; @名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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- S& s* R4 X1 w. y3 [" dlive 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。”
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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.

# H, G. {+ `: r& ]; T10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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7 _4 ^) d% V/ \( b- Q  \He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

- [. {, |* H' Y8 ^9 ^4 g画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

5 z0 Q, i/ [  k% [7 e9 N) ]11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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; |! q% d; X/ K) p7 [4 ~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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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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) H. F1 R# X, x12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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3 J( v: o1 Y1 y/ ]4 r% lAll 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.

5 x7 D3 o0 `( w. C/ }13. 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.

: I4 C" O" h& s0 H; n5 Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

3 L0 R# E* l9 ]% [A leopard can’t change its spots.

/ E0 w3 L8 z* C" u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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9 T) b  ]+ D  h$ U' o: i6 Q15. 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.

6 u3 g( t6 H4 N) k" r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.

; {; ~% W& e5 n# ?) v6 K2 Y; E7 D4 T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
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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.
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, k, X4 l+ g1 I  w2 D) i) U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。
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* D- Y4 o7 Z/ K0 t4 _The 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

0 c; k4 l7 @1 p9 X( C2 i  r20. 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。

/ K3 P5 L7 J' O+ I+ JHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
( y- m5 A- f# \billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

& e; J- f" E) W+ b上周日中午你去大统华了吗