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。

& ?" R, P1 d1 o  s7 I0 d+ ^She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

- W+ K" A6 L7 S5 T2 `; E9 @. ]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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" Y  K! B' x/ ~% F4 ?! P0 [动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 b( D' h8 ]3 X. @7 n  y: X) }动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

6 l5 r8 ]7 N7 G# z& I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

9 r: W4 [$ c! z2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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' g  \4 ]2 O+ ~: b& QHe 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

! S7 {  a* L$ Y0 `0 X9 n. L6 d; VHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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/ X4 f- g$ v) X' E石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

$ g5 H5 \( b- z) @! BThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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4 C5 [0 @8 m- ]+ v4 wThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

! X8 X, X1 y* o; V+ lIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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. d% E# I: D( ]/ B' U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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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( Z. V4 q) Z+ c" m7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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" ?' M+ b  u9 \0 e7 i4 ~# EThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& |7 P9 L: ^$ R' x9 z9 [张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

5 k( i6 Y- {3 C" Y- ?7 d8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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+ S  i0 Q& m  p# r9 R5 ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

$ y; P" f+ k- A/ \- |. k名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

' g/ ~6 A/ ?. rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

' K4 v) F- M2 t5 z9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

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”。
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; _9 w  `/ [0 K6 P3 F5 D3 eHe 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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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

- Y$ G* `6 Z$ I: F6 |Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

+ M# d# o# v% ?+ t) \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.

4 R" T* _8 H, Y* i- |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.

) ^6 `9 m/ N' `% A. n8 b! a# t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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3 ?! v& O7 Y4 f9 O+ H- Q13. 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

. ^7 W5 P# W! |, i/ v0 l5 HA leopard can’t change its spots.

* R+ v, B2 z- F* o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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6 U3 D& x/ w# P9 y  w0 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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- w/ i- ^) i2 I! X8 G3 f5 q3 P16. “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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2 o4 ~$ v9 h, U: JTalk 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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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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  c$ r+ s) g: h7 O6 L3 F5 M( d借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

% U" W" x; S8 m4 o# Z& w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.

) c; ]$ b# B: y) x! w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。

1 t2 ^& r, f3 X# g, w7 V% ~+ OHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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+ L; R0 k6 p: s  Y' T! |. _" r胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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.

  S: H% l+ B% a2 S# a0 \The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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& o8 v. U, G2 Y/ P. z0 v: j9 V( S扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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* H$ |% ~& X- j: G) D- t20. 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。

, p; M' e7 c9 ~& N6 C8 |% YHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 J2 ^! V# o) G4 s# a. m9 ^( {billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗