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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; C0 U' I$ ~5 U* kShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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9 F* @) u; R$ q3 ?& R) ]/ v, qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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: v; Q4 H) N0 n; q1 f, ^动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

! \2 S& s6 X& \7 }1 m- x' T动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

# c0 U7 y, p' ^* M/ x' U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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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" b( N+ @7 m* g+ }2 m9 |& X2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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+ n: N9 M9 L; D4 G! eIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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' h8 \* X/ w: m8 T7 ?" J8 uHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 D2 `1 y5 G9 ]' I石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

6 ^7 [; R2 O/ c0 x# W2 Z" l5. 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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。
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2 z  B; W# r- G* ~3 {) G# YHe 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.

9 Q- B9 t( z6 Y( k! _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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+ M/ \+ B# ~6 h( M2 z% q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

8 q, q2 R( a+ U' i4 E$ R& }* `名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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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2 a$ e, i& g4 k( [7 t9 ~4 @1 q* jMy 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 |& R/ ?7 j& ]5 i+ R, v" G1 X. }天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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2 h0 n. D4 O7 X6 o10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

6 s; O( z( J" x0 w5 j' n/ f) eHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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% q! s  S+ z( W/ T0 R2 C) k画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

& x+ B' s+ G2 j; q. J11. 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.

! _6 l6 {# K$ V( D6 ~; ?. d. N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.
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All 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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( t' ?3 c& j1 J% k* oA leopard can’t change its spots.
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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

! N5 _, G* r: C2 h; d8 m15. 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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8 @0 a, {- G1 ~& D0 j  U7 F4 t9 ~% Y16. “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.

! C3 o! L0 C1 \. z) T3 u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.

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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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$ X% j8 @* o% W  S5 h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。
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( q9 u$ ]- g' `He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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8 Y3 Y) p& u& I19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

: I0 Z2 e% Q' J' \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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗