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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

8 U' e: \6 |, v8 [& V: X动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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) d( M: L, Y; S4 A+ n/ C5 i- G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

3 b5 I! k  f2 _5 `  ~/ @* t8 V3 B他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

2 k. j5 ?9 o+ f* f: B刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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+ p- k: F; i- L1 Q6 v" i3 V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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% Y2 r/ U# J$ C) Q7 c8 y" J, ?# SHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

! \: z8 d( n* q8 [不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

; C/ E3 m. R7 P5 ?' Urefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

% j; s" Y: M# C$ @# hIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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2 j; X% l; E6 I' o5 g  X4. 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.
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: m' [6 N$ E! _5 v6 x6 |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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% I% J, @! q" ]6 D  V; |" [5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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, K. O0 o  j# v( k5 f5 m' r  kThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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: [7 a; p2 X/ f8 dThe 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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8 W. t+ w, k! @# t- I' C- A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.

: c6 c. H! Q& G% s9 \- 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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3 a: o5 {) q2 A8 B! Y1 c$ z5 }7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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1 u! C6 p: Z! \6 X2 j5 \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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  |+ D+ T" v2 N' u3 _% I9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

" i$ V5 H$ I( ^, C' Q8 `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.”

1 _" h( z, n% `  v% I天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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- u* l6 e: {2 C2 b3 y5 o& NHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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! Y) W8 i# B# B5 }) f, }3 i; i1 P画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 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.
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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.

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.

5 G2 L7 W) \" Z4 ]2 I  D# f* r. S4 v13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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8 L4 i5 W3 {9 S; ]- R/ @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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; H. H3 G5 n$ Y% n! f$ S& H) l: }14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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7 a: P7 C: J7 TA leopard can’t change its spots.

8 ~, x4 |4 o1 ^江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

- u5 O% P/ U1 Y% B15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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: E+ B8 v( m( e$ y. cA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

2 K0 m! g- i3 t/ 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。

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.
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0 e( W' f' v0 y) e, x: E0 k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.

  s5 ~7 d1 |& g% Z$ L1 C2 o借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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1 y' y1 p3 N+ E2 r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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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' R" q+ W/ K/ P& b) L" C+ q1 L# B18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

- G, ~. F2 ^9 Q$ h: p% Y7 R) n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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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: F, i  b& P0 E9 }9 o扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

! k' ]& v; z/ p3 a0 _3 A20. 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!
( h8 \: \0 m6 S2 J4 d3 G" ]billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗