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.

0 i4 _: N9 h' `; v0 [She 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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* N; H  |- X) p: O8 U动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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4 A" D0 y0 M4 a9 e! R% [  Q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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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

2 j% N3 ]( |) _* P7 H5 l! r: s1 sHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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* `- t1 i+ g2 a6 q不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

/ h) }4 F9 w! S7 o& V, Krefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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, U; r' o6 R2 Q3. 十年树木，百年树人。

( z+ O" t2 Z4 n5 j* w8 DIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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; `4 N4 X. }; c" i2 m4. 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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& W, a2 F# W& a石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
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9 {# i. A0 [* Y- n! w" {% ?5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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.

6 a3 T! E7 Y! v! xIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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3 s/ k' {% f5 A# F) W: ~% Y1 E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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) L* @$ E/ {, t6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

7 t# F. X4 [# ~, c4 ^6 i' [He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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4 F) [: b; E8 x/ k* C6 ?' Y* g5 T7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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& Z, @: I+ S7 W# B; z% n2 l+ \This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

/ F4 q, e, Y3 D4 O# {7 j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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  x& p! Q  X. x% [+ t- \4 ~8 T8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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4 h# G' F- `2 R' MIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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* Z9 z: D3 V* ]. @* u% k) ~( o" ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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8 s( E1 P7 ]0 l# C2 W3 t9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* Z. Y" i$ s) y. l( HMy 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.

9 z5 E7 V8 b( t10. 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.

3 |; }+ d" J: n# K: B) V) p( a+ o. ~11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

& w, h  ]% q& D# O. O5 V4 }$ O6 qTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

( R& x8 c6 X! ]6 C+ C5 k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.

7 v7 O: ]8 H0 l0 J- C5 A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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! N/ `$ q! h1 V- D; e+ ]3 _  UAll good things must come to end.

* t4 p% L+ w: E: }8 @7 ]8 G% sAll feasts must come to an end.
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9 U! `" g! @% @; I8 c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。

6 b8 j, |4 I5 h) H# 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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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

8 A- K+ v8 ^& F! U3 U7 NA 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.
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% D% U0 K+ ?3 d7 l: N15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

1 u, r' Q3 u0 G. c" @1 k16. “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。
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8 b* d; Q8 R# j0 Q" yTalk 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.

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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# J9 w4 L, p% [5 o. Q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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0 C+ n# w7 L1 b) {: MI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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9 }  j3 n5 \# k4 ?' }He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  `; t4 V+ ]( |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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0 x9 p6 `3 J/ \! t  vThe 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.

2 X" V5 ?3 |! U" ^, F- @; C扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 K2 `2 ]( z, J# S$ l) ?, m  e  @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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
  a8 l. ^4 ~+ v; T4 a2 Q  Lbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ ]2 G9 L" C+ k. a4 q; L上周日中午你去大统华了吗