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.

" m6 ~1 ?4 k. V, E+ iShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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5 Z6 j7 B# f/ u$ r9 T& G动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 p( j5 h) ?: d; Y  m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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) l9 a. P3 N: s' y9 O* F4 s刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

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.

) _( Z) ^! h8 K2 U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

4 i- m  }! ^% Q" r3 k. f4 t1 g3. 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.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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7 s% S* @% \6 j5 A- o8 J. N% }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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

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.

+ n  Y, v2 M( c2 u# K5 o* `" `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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0 p* H5 h9 L* H0 h  Y- L/ k$ |7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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6 u$ j$ }; U5 [/ @; S2 VThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

( P- K1 [. ^/ ]# j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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/ R) C2 C) E( G! J+ ~/ EIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

6 C1 t5 [+ e) K名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 G8 y4 W- D; t$ dlive 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。”
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4 n  {1 t! D+ X8 L- w6 d1 r+ LMy 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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% ^4 y$ r% s9 A$ {天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

. m/ @) I3 V( |+ d# H* j" tHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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" M0 Q1 G2 ^9 l) {% u* g画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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( m, L% @4 L( |; X11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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! u; B* f7 j; T& v& g5 c# OTom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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7 w& ~& C. s- f8 L  [) sAll good things must come to end.

9 e' _9 F6 }) n$ }+ NAll feasts must come to an end.
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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.

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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, T, ~7 l1 W  z* \0 C# t  c扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

5 a) M5 M# |* v* @7 s. x8 [: z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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6 H' s" j$ z- i  v  p* LA 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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! j- v; O) I  p6 E% V15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

16. “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。

; |% U. w2 Y5 j7 v7 xTalk 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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, W6 V* o. d& _% v* 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.

  y, t% i5 }1 b3 a8 `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

% \1 D; @2 g: l  `$ j; Q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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9 Q6 {* z' g; o) k# WI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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 a5 {$ b8 _+ THe 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

/ N$ L- `- y$ w' h* W& Z/ s19. 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

) ?: }& @: ?8 P+ r' ]; ]7 W扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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4 [$ P$ j, r' c$ ^+ _He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
$ D5 N* Q0 X+ u9 G. c8 d; [5 k  Tbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗