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。

" l3 O& c9 B2 Q( ~# U% s9 xShe 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.

( j- {* K0 ~  F动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 H) a  U8 g# [He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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; n- @& C5 F1 ~, H# U+ y8 E9 a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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6 g2 X3 X7 k2 N5 {refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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  s; a' {, s7 `' e$ y9 U3. 十年树木，百年树人。

+ S5 P# P8 ]5 d, mIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

/ g  c7 |  [9 Y% }4. 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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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

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.

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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0 Z$ x0 n$ N: C- O' F6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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' ^5 o/ d( ]  _3 ?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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0 N9 q2 M3 y% F2 J/ nThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

) Q& L$ J; e: |8 H: q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。
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3 a8 o# f# ?7 H3 F! \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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+ ~# D4 d* J1 j- |% U名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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; X! E) @& s6 zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

8 g. j% U6 a1 I4 ~4 Rlive up to one’s reputation
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( G: {) S5 g1 W' A7 b' k9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

6 G2 J  g* |6 I8 e9 y% h; h" J0 AMy 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 g1 A) D; Z  H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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom 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.

, g% d" p7 {* m. `- X12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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# T9 N" w$ o$ f5 y: I% R2 Y4 GAll feasts must come to an end.

1 H! P7 }" s6 B  X. O  e; x) Z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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8 w9 i+ }7 M$ X5 B0 z' Z# `13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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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.

$ }3 [7 ~# Z# M0 E14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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2 R/ [/ i! q0 X7 a0 V江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

$ w( w: q  L) s15. 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。

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.
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( ~+ K: c* z6 T% U; K8 F3 W2 M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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9 q8 C/ ~$ Z/ Z0 ^  w! k借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

1 p$ d. o& H; u+ x煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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  ~! c1 U7 v% M$ y& {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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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。
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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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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

- E# ?; n% T1 W  d8 B  @The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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" ?8 t4 E3 t6 n& |% B5 k$ \The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 r, J, R/ H9 G5 b9 n9 e; c- K3 @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。

) ?$ L) `* [. ]/ Z) ?+ `% h3 KHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 u4 r. O: s, Z) o& n) Pbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗