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。

+ r: U2 S" U& d# [' p1 J( J8 \She 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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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! D4 B  F5 Z9 J( U1 j* A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

( `/ k' ^/ K6 L$ h6 m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- p' p" S6 Q8 j2 WHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 \+ l0 y7 O- G: j" h6 V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
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  }; X4 Y! K2 p! n! n$ D4 {& w3. 十年树木，百年树人。

  w$ H2 }" _5 M  O  ZIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

+ @8 t7 E% R- H8 z4 w! v' Z4. 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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( c2 @1 v- @: |7 R' e& }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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5. 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.

, Q: L0 Z. E& w% |& W0 L, MThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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$ E% \% F! f! [1 ~: H# m8 Q/ u# mIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 O/ D5 G% k, C) S% |2 U2 E. o* E% g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.

: K1 G. o3 r7 k/ E' m6 t# N, a% |6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

2 b" Y/ A4 b) M; ^8 DHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

# ^; b. _! B; X1 }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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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7 q2 X3 b. t9 Mlive up to one’s reputation
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1 F5 U7 v% v" |9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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: T" s9 x" F* W  f10. 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’.”
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! B, Q0 j* J' r, |, E, \/ @- V, ~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。

5 J1 o3 C8 q  E. Y0 B  m* \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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

5 g7 X8 W  S3 K7 r$ I  kAll 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.

6 D2 W8 l9 C) D& T. y& [( ^! T13. 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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

  n0 V  I) V; _( r, C, Q, x6 K14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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  }" a; l+ d% C- C: b; M江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 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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& {2 b. ^5 {6 w$ c( v2 c5 U  zTalk 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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9 T! T7 {, X6 x: v8 N借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

$ t6 s+ a, l" N  \/ ]- C哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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2 o& T1 P; c8 G, i7 W18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- c- A) c/ [9 N1 M% p/ y; RHe 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

* c- r" y. X+ f# a19. 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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: J  w" |0 q. MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 g9 b" i6 o8 rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

He 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