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。

+ r% P3 a9 A8 R6 L3 wShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

. H& U8 d* j. J" _She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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4 E8 {' \% k/ t7 O! Q' Z动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 g9 K  G/ z. L  Q" s2 l动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

! }) v7 l; a2 w, W# n他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

% r$ v8 w5 d5 S- A  Q( S+ u刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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/ j, K, h: X- l) v. q2 {2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

. d/ l  |5 v& O- r( }He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

, x; r7 A  ~; [6 I- N( G) X不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

- {$ b' h3 R4 M1 C% h5 j! o* F, v9 Xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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$ j0 y# W" O- t# V4 i& {3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

6 ~. V3 H0 C7 s2 J- K1 d- J4. 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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- q2 ]: ?: T, c3 t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.

! R2 k5 @( c1 ^, D% I" ZThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

1 K7 G3 Y: X$ T8 R0 tIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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) a- @* Q$ m3 P* Q; K- O6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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7 Q* x  {+ U$ F+ j( zHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

/ C( H& E' J1 Z2 o1 tThis 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。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 W% A. m' d( u9 K4 z' j! klive up to one’s reputation
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4 n, D  O" ^. A7 o2 U# s! K$ X9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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  P8 h7 r9 l2 u. @" k* k- SMy 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.”

( T0 y& r- i" a; R( [8 e天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

5 n: Z, d- a( |% m! I10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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4 V" N* a  ?! t' `) g. W( P) X5 J11. 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.
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4 c% M# A; y! H2 }# M# Y1 }7 ~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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  @" J8 k, F8 x, _% c2 @% ?  p$ A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

1 ~; r0 J( _9 U7 c$ lAll good things must come to end.

, a4 F9 Q$ y$ ^. M) r( GAll 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.

7 p, B' K$ C% p+ q1 H" ^, H# }13. 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

* ^# [% k  N) T( I! MA leopard can’t change its spots.
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8 h& ]# t1 M, e. i! D4 X江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

$ t; W4 s* B+ ?/ t) B8 q& `15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 ~. p( N  m3 k4 ?; OA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

! [1 q$ g/ _% q7 K16. “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.
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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.

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。

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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

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。
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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.
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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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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% v+ a9 E" k9 P" p0 Tbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗