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。

6 T/ u. p6 P; e) y; D1 IShe 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.

6 i/ U8 V+ z: k* |. T% z4 y" e) T动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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7 n! f* b: t9 \  O动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

7 r" s, l" r# A1 f6 N# c9 l2 o' C  z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.

! B6 D$ R7 L+ n9 ^0 }  t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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It 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。

( P# [7 d) E& c. _1 p' hHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

1 H$ B/ D7 V) g- ?; G4 f+ p! q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.
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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.
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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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

( j# r5 W7 |( S$ T) C4 }; S7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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3 X0 l3 K( T& uIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

3 z& v- t6 N5 a名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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  _. V  p/ y9 g3 {1 A' w/ G- Wlive 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。”

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.”
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) ^% s  M" D% ?3 {天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

8 F+ l. Q( {; E$ f0 V# J10. 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’.”

8 T5 \; t) N- V+ Z  n) Q2 }! B/ n; 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。

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.

" G; T& y2 G4 f  M6 f+ U0 R- t12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

All 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.

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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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* W7 D) F* Y: b$ D! ~) S1 _3 i" @  iA 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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% N, R  ]* A1 b! |" y- F15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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4 |2 M# f# z# D$ y# @+ ~/ i& R5 y0 z16. “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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$ N& F3 R, O) K5 {3 B' ~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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, n2 Z+ U/ ?+ l* C  z! Y) _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.

7 _3 k7 {) c1 x2 ~煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# @+ M: [4 ]$ D6 w3 b17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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/ S+ e8 S! A6 P. R7 M2 @( mI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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1 K# H" t1 \9 x8 E* W哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- j' [0 O4 e" [0 h) pHe 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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1 {, `3 q& c$ {' j/ LThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

2 G  V0 q' R6 N! C0 F% @7 tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
# D  c1 }1 [) O# V% \billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗