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.

3 t: r; R& ?7 o' S/ m1 wShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

* Y! c8 ^5 W' K& \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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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

0 U; I- B6 w* Z他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 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.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

/ O0 L, p! G  x; u. B( ?: I6 D+ Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

- G7 ]  E7 q( H! ?, P4 [; g1 i3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

# i! c! t+ K) C! |3 \0 X- Y1 P4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

6 R& C8 j+ T/ s# u1 zHe 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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* n; _$ Y# ~  Y5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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0 }& k, Z: S/ ?5 O) o/ QThe 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.

" `$ T$ K1 v- {4 q% ~; ~6 A6 H, x! xIf 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.

" g- H6 a5 ]  h/ z6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

4 U: W! [% n# s6 U- }/ Y. fHe 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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& A$ V. j( Y* V. k9 qThis 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.
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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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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。”

& O7 r  a0 D, F2 X- `/ T2 ?" t* UMy 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.”
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3 `  ~' E" |0 v9 @: W天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

% S, a  t" i7 n5 p7 ?' yTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

- e; @, u5 I/ Y2 q) p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.

- z! F7 E1 ]6 `) ~1 i$ |& G12. 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.

( a+ d3 V3 s) w  l3 l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。
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# g7 H" F* k# O, ]3 fWith 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.

# U' t, Z  g, S0 L/ T; ?. z14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

( ^" e4 d: ?" W1 S; x江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

! h; w! \. D" _1 Y& U15. 吃一堑，长一智。

2 `* _" x; ?' x" O6 ^A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

# n/ g3 V0 s- @9 N0 ^: v$ T16. “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。

( O' R/ Z/ }" r4 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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# W6 O: G& T3 f2 i3 G* r  |' A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.

5 g( @5 y# L5 @- a" S( }; C4 g+ c2 T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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; Q0 L; x+ y  M4 JI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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6 }  l6 p; p+ ^3 f& @6 Q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。

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

( p* P& F! ^8 N% E7 U& T) _& |19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

7 j. ]% s+ ]) a4 K. ]* y! Q$ oThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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2 A0 p! e% ^9 V$ j! ?9 ^" vThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

3 n: `( C- s% R  [1 x8 m/ s扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 w0 ~8 j$ ^5 ]; f1 z: O$ v20. 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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, }7 r- Z8 g# M" t- X- x4 H; ZHe 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

/ n3 p# W9 k5 g( y2 n" F' G上周日中午你去大统华了吗