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。

$ Y8 s8 A+ |& l% U8 gShe 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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; t3 O. b3 n. R6 a+ j动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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7 W8 J0 w3 g$ m3 h5 X! ]. h动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

0 L- M4 d* \4 T! I  y. U. B他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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% ?3 _) t: f- a6 c1 J0 A2 {0 O刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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5 t! D( J( h5 u9 @- {, b8 O2. 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.

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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  E3 ~9 t3 ]# Mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 f' C! ^! |; _3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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! B% j. W( J  x+ H5 eIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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7 O* H) J8 Q5 t4. 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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( q+ \2 B' Y" n* g% O7 j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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4 d( j; n- Q, x# \6 O! o5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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4 R4 Q* X- y* p4 `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.
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0 H0 D$ t) b& v% k$ R4 cIf 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.

5 l$ `4 Q5 D8 W% Z( H# a; x6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

" g+ R/ N4 u9 a% xHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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* s9 @4 K5 t0 X& S. \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.
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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.
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6 O" j. @3 M6 Y! Z0 K8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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4 @& c. m2 l+ N) n8 n8 V: d" S3 LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ ?. F2 N+ J3 U0 f7 W名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

$ ]  @! z* _; Q: v; J; Xlive up to one’s reputation

4 z5 Q9 L" s  {# c! e  Y# a  G% c9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 F3 L6 m6 A9 y5 W, vMy 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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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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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+ V0 G/ i$ Z! @  b11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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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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6 b  G: R3 k! L4 {, C12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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' U9 l+ ^$ ]7 r+ h9 q& q$ yAll feasts must come to an end.

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。
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% Q" x- x# E  ^! V$ ]$ E! eWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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% Q! B4 P1 B! C: V扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

+ m! {% g# A# U% i14. 江山易改，本性难移。

5 B8 ?, \+ j5 r4 a) JA 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

% P3 q9 Z, R9 R3 Z" s6 w0 u% Y1 i3 uA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

, i$ M+ L" |4 U% Z+ i% D16. “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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7 F- |# b8 f) B/ q7 G3 f. E8 wTalk 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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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+ Q0 z" Q5 t) l. X7 W" C17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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+ Z6 x- ?0 K0 KI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

' q( A. {# D. g! x; h1 W# I+ 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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2 `, ^$ r9 D4 ], PHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

6 Q% ?- z+ w. g胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

0 e# |* S5 B  x$ y$ F0 q19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

. c/ g) S6 Z+ i: LThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

- R; ?- Z5 O4 [' O5 w7 o1 XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) a0 Q' A% J+ [扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

% O* {. M: ?& V5 c, ^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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗