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.
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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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+ g( k, _0 W9 a, E/ ~/ A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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& ]  E3 v  u) @, y2. 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.
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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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8 \8 F8 I  n: K& Q5 Brefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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! P' f- W  l- s% s& W7 y% C7 r; f3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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5 N1 g7 H' w% Z3 p5 \$ n; TIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

) }5 \  `8 w& e4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

; L# j  p$ {9 O4 L0 T5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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- l0 }7 B7 N4 aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

; |/ K# H  C$ b  A- RThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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3 z: O* @+ t+ [) x" @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.

; j+ q3 b: A4 c" a7 a( q7 b6. 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。

6 Y) ^4 c: `4 L; W- J( L9 l8 `This 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。
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7 y  [, \, g: d0 E  G3 g5 bIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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8 r4 J) A+ G1 x* A5 p名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

) D+ \# r/ e/ Z) {deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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2 }# b  y0 y% `1 Llive up to one’s reputation
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" Z2 G# u3 m8 C( t9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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) _- i6 o. j3 ?* H  v# |3 E. IMy 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.”

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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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' {4 `% n$ v. D: s( a11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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: Z5 W- O  W: y7 H* Q. ^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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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.

7 j  X$ Q! C- F  x! @12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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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" J) g% k( ?9 L, z' K13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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# t" ^0 g+ O0 v& d+ `& XWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

& o' @8 A5 X4 A% `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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# g$ I$ S, f. b  E14. 江山易改，本性难移。

9 R" P4 M; D3 q3 B* Z' VA 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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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9 `: w0 C2 N5 J! vA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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。

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.
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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。

  K, l- H; i4 c# l. j3 y: JI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

5 `4 c- ]( ]9 j9 B' O$ \! F4 T哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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( p: V0 }2 Z2 |6 U5 v18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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% e9 W0 y* X4 IHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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4 z& E$ ]: q: e1 N* _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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9 A/ ]  T' L1 r4 wThe 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。
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: e9 c* }- |- Q. uHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) R$ h! [! w+ ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗