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。

, p2 h" t, S, m3 C2 hShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

+ r# v  ?( e8 o, k4 L* VShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

' c1 Z" h3 v2 }$ q, c# z% k  J* h# O6 }动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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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" Y- p) Y3 c, ]9 {7 ~: S2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

$ v5 k' O; i; BHe 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

( ?: n1 ~: O, _( u4 j2 U0 fIt 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。
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" w" P2 F3 Z+ c! g0 D4 h# FHe 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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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& j2 m. e/ Q- [5 _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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

0 [% J: `) b4 j3 U! O: k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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/ t, N8 Q3 X; M' k0 T6. 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.

5 V$ i: Q+ [' j5 d) X7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% m+ I& Y2 d2 O张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

4 L' l/ \& R7 _* y( u0 W3 q% o* r' K! t8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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8 G: L: A* S2 G- x+ s, dIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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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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1 S" O& l% w5 M2 g9. 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.

9 S8 }3 _' A0 y5 z; E# C. ^) ?9 K10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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% h) Q" [* H; }5 o& S8 g$ O4 QHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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/ ?; Q7 T% i) i/ K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。

& {8 g( l: T9 W) E  e4 }# }* VTom 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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3 T1 F9 H* S' A. x$ V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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7 s/ _+ G! @8 d! y$ [# J2 r1 q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& X  P- |  o. cAll good things must come to end.
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& e7 h) j4 Q) B7 H, D& m6 k6 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.

+ m5 r4 f9 S3 ]13. 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.

; S/ s) R% i' d1 h3 r4 f14. 江山易改，本性难移。

% k: ?+ |8 N/ O* J6 OA 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.

% o- Q8 u% S; [/ A/ W5 _* Q8 W( b15. 吃一堑，长一智。

& x/ `9 s, Q- C1 zA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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1 a6 G( I, P' z5 l/ R7 M* O; }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。

$ \4 i- M. S% N; i, q3 ]- mTalk 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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; x4 j3 D' o, _+ Z3 A* n9 ^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.

6 \  H" u$ Q$ f( ~8 K" c3 e! A借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

3 l) D& K3 R/ T" J  }1 W6 T* w* L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。

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

) f4 i, ]2 `! [3 ]8 E- s- v哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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  k. l* X% b7 J' z. H' q8 O  v+ O' a18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

2 h8 o" |7 X* p; {; e) Q6 q! WHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

% c$ ]! P) o2 X6 T0 o19. 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.
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, x5 X' ~2 \) `6 e& c# dThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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. v  t+ T2 c) ?5 A$ e( ^7 o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。
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5 _# F) H* R0 j' [: w( dHe 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