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。

4 C! a9 g0 L4 t8 DShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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+ g2 t7 [! z0 H/ JShe 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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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

( ]% R$ I4 x: m7 L( j$ |/ q* `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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

. s6 U) ]8 T! gHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

) K6 [( @% }& e) v不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

. W" y& h) ]0 M0 prefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

' m; B5 w9 q3 u1 F6 \; u3 R, WIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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: {6 G% Z) G" O, H# t5 C' E" R  |4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

* A4 N; C+ `3 z9 T2 I- }$ tHe 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.

5. 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.

* J1 Z5 R' ]/ w2 Y! RThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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- F( o6 x# R" `( N) I1 f& Q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.

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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- i4 I( A9 U. S" O" o7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. I& x; _# J6 E% J4 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.
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8. 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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( F/ m. u# j  U  C* u3 v- @3 |; A名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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/ f" c, o7 d/ o2 F5 T5 l% G7 ndeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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& K5 D7 t: U" w5 ~6 |: ]live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

% M2 n( G7 i' d. l  K/ @) uMy 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.
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/ r) `" M8 E" X  V) F. y" j( T! y10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

0 j; k* H5 D) O3 `& U  [1 V! b/ 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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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.

3 H" ?5 J; D/ J% N7 n$ \" K/ D12. 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.

" ]# ]1 v& s8 V( v0 q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.

7 U9 Z$ u0 X0 c13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

. d& c1 B5 X. @0 a# q' }With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

, P7 W- a$ _! s2 O! U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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; I; ~& y2 ~6 @' P1 V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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1 D7 g* g  V' y3 O: F  Z15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 i! g$ H% |) B; x3 p7 Y0 N8 |A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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) }7 s# q. y4 X; R5 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。
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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.

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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 s: a% u$ d" c  J2 s6 J- iI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

! f7 m7 x* {! w* c; E) O哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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# L" T- b2 O0 a5 t  l6 U18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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  O; q4 N- o- Q: K: _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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" m5 b6 V% Z; |" M19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

' y& m$ m% e$ @0 G2 LThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

( s/ F3 T' ]- r$ ~. l1 j7 AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

2 y: L1 q+ i  U1 O扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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( y: z, y. P* o4 B$ L& s) s20. 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!
3 c1 Z5 F! p3 |4 ?billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗