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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: B% F. c* V; G% TShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

' e+ ?: R; ]! s$ YShe 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

: C" w9 K$ l% |2 H& Q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

. m& w6 o. ?: C8 X, ?动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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3 R' q4 r9 t, v. b6 q  x. X他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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/ |8 K. [% o+ ?% ~& c; ?- w9 Q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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  N8 c1 s0 N# n2 o8 Q% v7 j2. 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.

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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  u5 |- e) `+ e5 jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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) g) c) |6 w0 A; [+ K$ f9 {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。

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.

1 ]1 I; O: H' h. b* E, A: z5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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9 c' q) n) s1 S, C  F4 R4 rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

7 v) w9 M; O6 ^6 I! 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。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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. u; ~3 E; S5 X" U/ `& g: hThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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. s; w) z. n' L4 H: r) ^9 `# O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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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  g( Y& E( I; p, B( ?名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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/ C  M8 T4 h' t  T. S; olive up to one’s reputation

% a) Y/ q6 [) Y9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

) h3 l2 ?, A6 [/ w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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

2 x1 U& c! v- x' u( o/ @0 @% O11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

! f3 v* ^  U: M* s. J, F! WTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

6 g' x' K6 `* j: Q! B. _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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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+ G' w- @3 i. a; A$ `# s: FAll good things must come to end.

  c1 h8 T/ ~7 ?5 X% v: SAll 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.
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& q( X- a) I/ F1 D% q13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

  r" K* U7 G. C# A. J" H7 e: NWith 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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  n* N5 Q8 e) F% C2 V* A0 q14. 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.

7 I7 V4 _! y: a: N9 ]: y15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

, ^0 ?! ]! A. \8 ]: I0 L1 J16. “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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6 r: m  ~, C' L/ S+ K8 sTalk 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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! v6 F- M% o* N) q9 G5 E: J& F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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5 q) F: _/ u1 {1 g4 }: O7 o$ T# j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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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- M( j$ j9 J3 ?6 A2 B9 b0 m/ m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。

  e! @1 B7 d# }  p, L( B% O3 @He 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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( P" o6 k) C) J0 p5 x0 }% Y8 }) z" p19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

" W1 V  o. F* d6 G5 NThe 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.

, w2 }! |6 h/ H9 J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。

, \$ u3 Z* m/ v/ u1 P/ qHe 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