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。

% `5 m) P: Q3 I: h! GShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

& k+ M& M* u- mShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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' c0 J5 P) q4 o1 D& {: U4 N动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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, Z& W% `2 Y8 F2 e/ M6 p/ b, F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。
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3 E% P: n& a6 m8 gHe 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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6 r/ T3 L) \: U4 t6 _. W$ Lrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

! n9 j7 a2 M0 w, ?3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

# F, a/ l1 h+ S5 t5 a  \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.
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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 r* q: e1 u$ n5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

+ k" H2 H  H, y) j" u$ }# zThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

+ A# X. T* p9 h9 y$ J. \% Q. CThe 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.

  m# l" {7 u- b, 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.
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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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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" Y0 Z* y, }. c) k$ iThis 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.

/ }  A) ]$ R% ~. R8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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  d# o6 a. |, h/ J& r) ydeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”

4 [( c# @! E( WMy 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.”

/ H8 m5 S0 ]6 S+ ~3 s' y, n. [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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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

; s2 r4 m: T( H' }& V# o2 @( a& O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。

0 V3 t6 b1 Z( D6 ^7 LTom 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.
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; g; o1 e$ W' @6 }; J( O% Y$ g12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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" X9 J" j  ~, W2 oAll 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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13. 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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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7 V4 c4 E7 G# J. X, w! {8 a14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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- n2 N8 N" F! u0 {: O* cA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

& L8 u8 N/ ^& x* d% h/ t7 m16. “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.

$ B$ \7 u9 k1 @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.
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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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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.

8 P' S* X/ U& Z0 ?) P# ?4 O' ~  G: Z- f胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

' X! T5 R( c+ Y# 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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* ]8 M* J7 {- A; X7 O% S$ ?6 I% eThe 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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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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