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。
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She 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.

$ T6 z" f, S6 k6 b6 V8 P& ~. Z% c4 H动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

8 }/ l8 r  a( W% n, Y+ r' n3 }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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" g" l7 l8 R8 d/ M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

; @4 B: N# R. x! p; a2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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4 N/ N/ e# i) Q! j% Z6 P! m' u3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, r* u8 }$ \# p, `. H. uIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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5 A" X) i0 G; k7 T4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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; f$ z4 i- ]6 b% q! E5 M8 sHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

+ l' O( a+ r; r# F! b/ K# W3 I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。

( Y# b8 H9 X: G+ uThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

/ a, K, o6 w( 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.
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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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

; k6 t2 g/ f8 V8 ?+ CHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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# j' C6 G$ T5 e% N: c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 d. l, Q" ~3 n8 R% j: Q- w8. 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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9 j6 p, x7 F- U6 b! Y" Z名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

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.”

0 J, v5 [" v4 k( y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

2 O! Q# F; B9 v! p4 E10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

% ^0 w$ _* ~4 [1 U1 C; t& kHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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; f1 a! r6 F4 u8 U! p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。
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. T4 [' g. A+ o1 r- MTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

8 c; p' v8 e$ ~1 _% W1 u+ _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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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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2 z4 ]" Y- \" x4 C9 B$ K, w/ [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.

; k: |0 @- u4 I; Y* W13. 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.

2 H. s7 G' s1 }扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

' B0 E4 h4 I' N) QA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

3 B5 ?: a8 E# Q- Q( @; z6 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.

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

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.

& @1 o8 q: W. m哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

+ ~2 Y( f( @! H1 A0 A! W' F18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

! v) w/ e" M6 Q( l9 JHe 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
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- G+ w% t+ m+ }& [+ f) n19. 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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6 k" o1 X2 X4 @/ }4 HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

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

0 b; ?5 X; Q7 G  f上周日中午你去大统华了吗