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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

# w, v9 J1 L0 h+ v' bShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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# X3 S, |, F: V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
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- m% o9 d8 j3 Q6 d6 Y/ U* ]3 u0 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
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2. 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.
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8 O2 k, \& M- Z' p- O$ p8 o8 @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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6 ^! k8 [; I& ^$ R  ]3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 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.

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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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.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

5 @. z) U, k  k6 q) wIf 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.
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5 D! p; ^4 E6 L# h1 c9 E6. 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.

# ~) z2 B( W+ I2 @" A7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

% Y+ T& L! n$ e- _+ b4 A. y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。

' ?* e. K1 D: N+ ]' P8 oIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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6 _; h& Q% l( C( X6 N; i名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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% D4 `/ y0 t( j& Flive up to one’s reputation
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& r: }* u1 q: E7 m$ p9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

( c1 P7 o  g) D7 z% l( OMy 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.

1 p! S5 ?  z, s! t/ ~4 M10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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, e( E  r! n9 _; N: T. oHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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% y8 A8 D- o* S' k7 H4 b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。
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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.

0 L3 y: _- p) ~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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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7 L  i2 U& c$ g% E6 a; nAll good things must come to end.

( b- I, n* J5 k% a4 i0 V$ CAll 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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" H" v7 D2 A; b% K7 Y7 W0 F# z13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

( a1 v/ f. x# F8 W; d- i  pA leopard can’t change its spots.

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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  p) W$ O; p, i% F15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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9 J8 I& t& H: e5 S" `& [: vA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

+ f3 y) f+ L+ t: x16. “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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" t$ u' b, p/ F' z% e; Y  ~4 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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( B" n) E& L2 l. u  _9 i* S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.
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7 H" }) e, A0 x+ w, K" `6 o  ?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。

  }4 H2 i6 C3 s* l1 h+ U$ xI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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. m* W+ c2 X; Z2 s& n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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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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: X* }" t5 `: r3 m0 H8 o! ^. T9 c19. 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.

3 D; u' E( v3 D$ A' ~: @( I扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

. G& U  v; z9 t3 |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

- C# ]( y  l' B% B( [# k上周日中午你去大统华了吗