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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

$ E2 Z. }% Z  r' Y. MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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& N# S$ ]7 R0 B, z动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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9 c( ?. k% W9 V/ Y: Q& x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.
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: N: i( v& a1 S+ ]" _刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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1 f1 S/ m+ }  E. P2. 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.

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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7 ^- ]. F* m8 drefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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# H/ Z3 G" D. k- Z! M& R  r, mIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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; b; G( O+ y) E& ~% I0 L石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 f3 `# M) ^4 Y9 F4 K! D7 a5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( Y7 c' k' c! L% o# F8 I8 T2 s0 NThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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3 C! E5 b% g5 A$ ]7 WThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

7 x  N9 [) e. b3 h( y0 m0 F  |# rIf 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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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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# D1 m) W, s3 ~He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

3 a/ p. d! v7 P' x$ u9 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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- Y9 I$ T8 z! ^, E) `# b3 s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.

0 S8 e. Z# a0 [/ k1 @名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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  m5 S* T/ Z0 r* kdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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- {8 r6 {( H/ q3 W, H1 ^: R& |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。”

& I# J9 h1 @3 s, [9 q. T! o) ^" d9 gMy 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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4 R$ v" i+ q8 e( Q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”。

: G: \# T8 G" e5 lHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

) S0 H& f( \( A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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) a. j& y% l2 b( x" J& }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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: I2 x& q4 t; T( g$ f12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  H$ L0 b8 U; e$ ?& k. g! G4 iAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

- G" g2 V" P+ R; M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.

5 ]0 a7 z* f  I+ L5 o) J- y9 U% s13. 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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4 n  t+ }2 s! u7 G3 F9 G1 P扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

( E& L$ y- R9 ^. zA leopard can’t change its spots.

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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% K3 i0 A6 X  |2 S" U0 m/ D15. 吃一堑，长一智。

# i* T, p- y4 c1 m1 v8 Z7 q3 J  {0 eA 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。
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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.

; X) |- o( W- h( J0 e" |4 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.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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6 Q$ @: N' a0 C8 [7 T! o4 b17. 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.

, E5 w' o+ o! O+ n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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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8 U9 B) G. X0 B3 j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。

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

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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. |4 p- z/ q0 g0 u扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

6 F9 B  q, M% ]4 _' ~5 d20. 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 `4 Y/ S. x2 O) YHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
8 s' K" y2 \& _" I3 Q7 Tbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗