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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3 N3 z: _' [" L1 j# {She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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; @4 y. p3 Y% Y. N. V/ D/ }% O+ e动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

' {3 L! g0 F. u7 `7 j+ q& ~& s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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% f5 }0 k- Z% W' w" N+ y' B; Z& ~他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! P' c  s) {7 |; e刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) `) Y+ m1 L& M$ \' c& s& ?He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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1 M* g& X! h% G不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

3 V+ ]5 C0 I$ `" i& n$ k, l# rIt 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 s) E- e  X: G  U4 L石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

- C' C/ b: j$ p8 j5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

: _' w6 ]8 O" {% G! d5 }3 PThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

7 t) K) v! v, J2 J2 Z+ D: `; vThe 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.

% c/ ^+ r# R) M/ R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。

' F6 V" ^8 e+ CHe 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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2 O4 H8 n6 }. W! SThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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9 R  M0 z8 M4 m8. 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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. T, \1 R& e" t7 O$ G0 V名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: @1 [! b! w2 P0 Zdeserve 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。”

1 H+ ^7 ^2 _8 d7 H6 T. V0 kMy 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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6 X8 o) _& A+ Z- h* q! ~天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

. u. ~5 ?# v+ ~; w% G+ UHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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2 g4 h8 {/ C3 r( J. N, ^3 i+ W画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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* U3 q$ q. ~  h' \5 fTom 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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5 \' x# X$ d+ `- l' `/ m- Q$ O( |; c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。
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All good things must come to end.
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- U2 n4 b1 [. T/ tAll feasts must come to an end.
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; E0 p% C% H! C. y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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/ ^; m. f" m. e* Q' _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.

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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A leopard can’t change its spots.

5 t) w$ {& L0 D2 Q江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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4 n- f! o! z: ^/ }7 ], X- |5 MA 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。

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.
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! [8 ]) D! ~8 a) x: W5 d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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$ z2 |  Z" @& J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.

+ ^* v! t0 b; M哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

3 b% E7 n1 v7 `& T18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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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19. 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.

* J% U: i4 |* u3 W7 I* U* ^$ |The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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. `3 U  [+ ]/ X2 U& c3 |3 D) K; _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。

5 K1 w" b8 s+ W2 kHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 s8 J: P$ ~) I  M" ^billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

! z6 k- N5 D  M1 Q+ I) F上周日中午你去大统华了吗