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.

2 f* M7 R2 {1 q; q2 @( G; y3 OShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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" ~, D" c1 s, S5 j% {动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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& }" K2 E' J$ `! T  \5 R' `- b6 m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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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0 ?, c. d7 i' G. c) |" B6 JHe 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
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) F# F& R, Z3 \1 I( t' R2 g3. 十年树木，百年树人。

1 J9 B2 Y! z/ |& s& \It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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7 {1 ^0 Y5 f7 u- y1 L- {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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

; ~; n0 D0 V3 c5 ?+ l2 S& M& E5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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' o2 w/ C- j+ n/ K  `The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

+ b( _5 R$ h: }5 v8 [3 X, X5 TThe 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.
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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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! ]" z3 {3 x# Z$ U% C6. 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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# `# W/ J$ r4 C# N& k6 f7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 n) t  U( Y; OThis 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.

' [$ p0 ?# \8 d: Z" r  _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

( g0 h1 R+ t. S# GIt’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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0 }' n) K" y8 k1 s( K& k5 adeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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4 _7 z' c, }! o. x( o9. 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.”

5 H+ `) x: c- {) U# U  [天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

) N" @: ]6 p6 i* S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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6 X9 Y) j' `& q% V4 m* _% E, BHe 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.

6 q: x9 B! x+ _. E11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.

- N: J/ c0 I/ j6 g2 f12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

# U6 u4 I$ K. p8 c' T" d1 qAll good things must come to end.
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; o6 z  h6 G4 F2 MAll 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.
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# B8 [8 E" [& D4 e% r' T, _2 j13. 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.

2 R( F; h, L# j- a9 D: Y扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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( s6 m7 I* U- T5 L1 h7 }% Z+ T8 }4 U: a; a16. “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。

. z/ S! S) Z8 a  rTalk 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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1 N' ]- |- R- `! ~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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

" V. A+ `: `% [, ?( D! M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。

* J( B0 `/ Q1 C* ?I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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& D. e" J. J' [$ K) P. |9 `哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& j) Y  K1 U* [) D" _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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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5 e0 K; d/ L. N+ C$ P扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 {0 A7 n5 ]* m3 t  o7 b/ p) h( y& ]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。
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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