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。

7 f3 ^' U  y6 c) {; S2 x- lShe 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
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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- N& N+ E% T/ k  i: \动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

$ }7 l  [& |% z* t2 t# M# ~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.

0 t5 A- A; M; \2 K( O- G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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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6 x" K5 p  [* p* _: `It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

- E4 n4 c: M/ V+ W4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

& l' Z# e& H" D# f  e& G# IHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

* ^) V4 ]* x0 p  BIf 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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0 V4 e$ g- I2 A6. 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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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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, p% s# H2 F) wThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。

2 v; d% f( F/ rIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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1 I% H' E8 P  o$ e' N- T名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

5 p4 A0 V4 Q6 y0 u( ~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.”

' T! E3 Z& R# G天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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& r/ e; B# b( G* R, I; g9 p10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

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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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

4 r4 G  ?" K/ W0 LTom 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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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& G! P* W/ S0 Q6 m4 |8 K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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/ ^9 D1 k# }# i13. 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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* V- W" o1 N6 [* L. ]扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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5 V" X4 L) c# J( x14. 江山易改，本性难移。

0 w2 v8 o3 R- h, M; \3 g8 i) F2 [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。
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" x/ E; q0 Q( _% T2 gA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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( ~" l7 r- W! E4 t& G4 b16. “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.

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* z8 R" v4 n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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& q0 t+ P% `. ^) ?17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

8 s3 X) ?9 |4 W$ q. H4 RI 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。

4 C, o) a& d& vHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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. |; H1 Y! u$ m8 E  f8 ^胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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4 m0 K3 P& h5 M# D' g19. 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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+ d2 [* Y4 }5 b8 h7 AThe 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。

. e& D& ?. V4 n  g' uHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
  w9 |0 J; s8 v4 q8 x/ Pbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

5 z2 K8 Y9 r! |8 d, a8 e上周日中午你去大统华了吗