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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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.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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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.
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) ~) l+ \& D- N8 D6 ^3 ~8 z2 w, a; H& F刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

' z4 Y7 |4 i1 M+ T  W% yHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 q$ b/ d1 B1 R& W9 [' W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
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. r) M$ p' J+ `& }9 S$ E3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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% U& K" e% H: G' l* c/ p4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

9 p6 m. s! v# A( LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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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- }. C% K# {7 g2 D! n' A7 A2 x5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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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.

5 M3 F3 H0 d. V8 v& ^- F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.

9 @  {9 _5 H3 k/ x* t1 _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.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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! Y1 s' h) H( Y# kThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

; c" w4 H& \! E; w7 c3 ~8 i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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0 x, p1 O+ e, O; _8 c; z- Q' x8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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, w$ P; c  @- cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

, U( d: g3 D) E7 \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.”

3 R6 v3 ~3 m; a8 F* _: E  s+ @天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

1 B4 E, L' z# S1 ^  x7 f* a10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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: X  k; x- F, R  T! `1 p11. 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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5 ^2 c0 R& c8 [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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

( L  l5 `. N- J) \9 x" ]6 @& }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。
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+ c1 P2 N4 ?- `8 n/ f( b" yWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

' c2 T5 V8 F  a# U; e( n/ F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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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& n; L& b# x, q- b) j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。
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+ a1 T0 W& @3 C' @  bA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

& p9 K% T% z3 G/ E16. “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.

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.
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- z4 L; y& f8 Z: W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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$ R1 E* {7 _, t) C/ L' F  H17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

+ r! X  Y% x5 A8 u# L: sI 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
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& U+ ]3 _5 I6 b: n18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

1 Y: x# _  O& t8 p) r# t& O3 [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

: }* A/ T. F# y* S/ L- o0 R19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 X, E6 W6 Y# }8 d: o( P, _- G20. 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。
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% e) B+ }% R5 e1 T( JHe 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

! H- l' `! D) t) a* ]! q7 B5 H2 S4 Q) N上周日中午你去大统华了吗