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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! p5 z" [5 }9 |; Q; e9 ~She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

) t' s7 \2 W+ ?' j9 AShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

" N) q1 z" M2 R% W  V* K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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& R( Q; Z/ \4 J动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

  \5 z  b6 Y4 C2 Y/ ?7 \+ f9 P9 j动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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' b1 m3 w8 L! a* a/ ?他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

) u! q: S# [+ y7 {( ^" k. k刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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8 [+ G$ \: t* ^1 f( J+ t: \$ C! O2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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- j) h; g2 S! _, Q4 UHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

$ i7 w  {2 e7 S! X5 W3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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6 M2 S$ y: B( Z( 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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( {/ ^0 @* ?- J# q) X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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# ?! ~3 I" S! a5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

0 Q3 v# J0 H# fThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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) A! j: p' u5 _" ZThe 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.

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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( J9 C! {4 o1 V9 N! D  V+ e6. 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。

1 R7 M: \3 K, q+ h* [' d& \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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  |; V2 v9 w( G( K* vIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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4 A" r6 q0 n! X' H$ V名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

! t1 f4 I+ j1 U/ Qdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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) n* W  F" W8 f" |" V, YMy 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.

1 Z/ j9 n0 }( q6 v10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

3 C5 P# ?& m" G3 \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。

; g0 i! u2 O+ p# ], }+ YTom 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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

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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13. 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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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.

2 c, h# H6 g1 {( G, N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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. i! F/ A: R4 y6 ^% e* ~, k+ o15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A 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。
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1 i! ?+ n1 G- T1 O4 z& M' i6 G! }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.

) {0 P, K3 c( U& m! c( D  @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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  H  K4 ?1 n/ T" x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
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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.
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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。
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0 a* P2 q7 i% V$ k$ B/ Y$ BHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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9 A8 ]5 F# g, z0 D8 s; L胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

* w9 b: Z' F0 Q7 o" J6 AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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# x$ Q* r$ [) Q0 fThe 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

2 M. N# |* f+ \2 F$ |, e. S# R1 ~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。

; j% D1 r: g5 o4 Z& J: l, X/ MHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; |' h, j8 f2 Sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

# M" y6 N& K* s* |上周日中午你去大统华了吗