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。

7 R5 T1 O+ ^9 o: N! l9 p7 T" RShe 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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8 d- g; s2 R! V( N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

" u' {& ]% H4 [, U; \他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

) w' p. Z  n) [6 |* C刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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5 i: {4 z+ i9 c. B2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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% y! K4 T/ y8 S; b3 NHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

5 C1 U" ~, @# ^- R7 ^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。
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3 j: t4 V# \7 }" ]$ A: mHe 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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7 k( g) l% Z: S. o! C4 q9 p9 g) mThe 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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

: t  W2 B$ g' Y! Z3 f7 S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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- }, I4 F( k0 j7 z' iHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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0 r$ ^$ K* }7 D; B' x/ ?: Z7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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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+ U2 p+ Z, S9 Z8 Z. t$ K1 u* v8. 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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* c, q; ~5 e# [& J# c名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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$ P' D6 o6 I0 D% Z' m) Pdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 T: ^8 U4 W1 o  w; |2 L' b1 _  Elive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 ?( k1 O; \9 p- c& J5 U' D- HMy 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.”

$ z7 d6 u, Y; v1 o5 z$ n天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

  h: H: w2 y  ]; ^2 T10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 A+ ]- a+ @5 I. j( n  ^' uHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

& O& X9 s$ c, h, X- G: y画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

- u& d8 W7 c. G+ m* u11. 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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. C' B* W5 ]- M3 Z( {8 j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.

$ E/ `! @8 _3 R5 r! ]' P) ?' |12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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3 X- r1 n2 P* O4 C. ~All good things must come to end.
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All 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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7 D1 d/ Q' k+ g8 d13. 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。
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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.

6 ]/ V) a) M) E15. 吃一堑，长一智。

  j# E5 H$ {" g4 j* ~) KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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8 ]6 R* c/ {- O1 j+ s4 j$ c, U. t16. “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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# a' W, B$ J" aTalk 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.

: z" [8 U' w& f, {! r, c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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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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2 O* E$ `+ M' Q' \17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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- E  Q% y. M- `* L! q+ s$ _7 Z" SI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

1 `! S* w5 N9 U3 B. E! _) h2 r4 ^1 n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。

4 G, z1 a" f  `. ?6 Z0 wHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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" z( [9 C7 D: E; A+ C19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

3 V- ]2 F, _4 S% NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

8 _" M* H& z: N4 u2 k, J8 D, F. P扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 |! G- J/ z, j% |& B20. 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。

. w# M$ h; q* l/ l8 xHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 }3 ?  ]* ]3 Jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

- y- ^: E. a! J9 `% g7 i上周日中午你去大统华了吗