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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% r" N% a5 D  DShe 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.

4 L# y1 g/ D' \" m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
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" r7 s$ w6 H/ G, c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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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1 k; Y- x% m+ {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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

! m& y) E. }( g2 f- F; z4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

4 B3 _6 C2 V- ?8 ?5 yHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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  z' b) L; ?' n/ C' HThe 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.
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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.

% m* n/ g  w* D, a1 L" N' H1 `6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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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7 y! f; g9 e! X4 ]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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

" e% W0 k$ q" O- L8 H" w名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

4 ~# C, s# o; ?/ z% A3 Y2 jlive 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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* X4 K2 F, @9 B+ l8 P3 f9 jMy 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.”

: ~4 Q, I: W$ G/ K3 }- M, }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’.”
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9 l- l' s: W# n7 m1 L) e) _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。
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" z- n' J& ?' r! R; p( h( n9 ?Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

& y; N; Q7 p" b. x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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: o6 i  d' L8 K/ j- A- W12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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7 A; n% t+ N/ [3 G9 s+ v" sAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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5 Q0 H4 R% h4 S+ G0 i$ k" v- q13. 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.
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, W1 F5 L! Q/ x; v14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

' @2 O8 i* v$ R" f: e2 g, E- R6 k7 Y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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

! Y4 V) t1 |6 K  H; q8 nTalk 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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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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- p% f2 ^9 A' Y4 j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
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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

( k3 h1 t* o" F7 S( v3 S- G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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! }9 U* X, I) z. VHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, `2 r1 M- n9 c4 t19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

" _3 p3 h/ K( l( q6 \* DThe 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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6 t* h* b) A2 m20. 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 u6 `4 x" c5 s1 A$ pHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
+ M& _" @  W- @billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

8 [- }% I. i: ^( a  Q8 z3 a$ w上周日中午你去大统华了吗