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。

! Y2 E  }. S# K  b* eShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

8 |6 h+ D$ Y' m  J8 A1 eShe 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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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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( H: x# N# w5 n% w* p5 e5 V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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, G" f" _( i, M2. 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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. Z+ c- @2 M$ S4 I* g$ j不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

: t! m2 B& q2 P) W1 e  w% f6 Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 O- V* ?: u# U1 a. d) @. u- ^9 p3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

# O% z3 t, w( |3 l4. 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.

( _( Y* I8 O. Y0 B* C9 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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* B7 a! p$ [) K, r8 a2 m, r5. 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.

% p8 p2 o  G0 T6 e4 WThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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' b; p% f! g6 [' a' E  [$ IIf 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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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6 k* p) r9 X" R! ^0 {He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

( l" S7 S, ?* k7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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& i$ ~, K' A* i+ L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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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( q8 p( \0 p& u9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

, _& K' ~& J1 x0 {; \9 I; 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.”

) O( `1 l2 r- j. D3 E' m# ~- k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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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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  x+ m$ @4 E. l! F) ITom 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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4 r+ z  m8 G4 p- z# x7 M+ r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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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; P. @/ n0 x3 S! E0 rAll feasts must come to an end.

0 D' y3 R" S' u9 W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.

* y% Y8 w/ h! v& `# R# a/ p9 g13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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! P9 z0 c7 a4 k% B5 N' `With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

, V+ A" y# q! x0 ?2 ~扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

! Z( g( P: H$ T+ Z- i! T! e" x14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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. z# g4 ~4 m% ~. N4 l8 X, ^8 ]15. 吃一堑，长一智。

, {6 y. C( ?$ oA 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。

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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4 s4 Z( n$ T2 T" D) o  c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.
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6 N+ N  F% B' ^& r; F煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

' z! l" [# |. p( `% ^8 Q, b! V17. 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

2 ~5 T. o' ?  ^2 w/ e18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

9 y3 m& n) a# c, y6 w1 C' O  vHe 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

19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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" H, _2 N) C) O' `& b; OThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

# ~8 s+ P8 _. E% M- E1 F6 U$ S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

2 t8 Q5 w) x6 X8 S( |& o上周日中午你去大统华了吗