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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6 b4 f( [: V& ^, _: ZShe 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.
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8 r4 v- a  c( k2 ^  q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

0 c  R0 Z* v% o( S/ J  q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

1 |1 G/ |5 p4 L. @2 l; {6 s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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7 |: {* [# t- X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
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- p0 [/ T/ ~- I* U2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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9 C: T( A0 b6 e& LHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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0 e' U1 y8 O9 W0 t( Z不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

* g6 i7 {7 {3 K6 [  @refuse to give up until all hope is gone

* L3 |# s1 X: ]$ l9 G( @4 ?# X3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

" R1 s: N% I/ p, T* _9 LHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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, g5 U2 F. C! l* w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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7 U9 O. S$ P; X; w1 _1 x5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

4 J/ n: z  X' b. \The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

# _  e1 l4 {, L; zThe 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.
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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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8 h4 ~* l9 L+ d" H$ j, UHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 P! a0 ^! q% ~0 s7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

3 D) N$ T+ S6 U$ @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。

+ W: X: P& M* T* TIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ i0 ~! G4 W% j$ C5 A名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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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* [8 a( z: P) d& S3 ^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.”

' d) z( Q% a" f. ~+ X天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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0 {3 ]. i1 h" j$ Z8 w/ @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’.”

* R' R% d3 [3 b0 M) N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。
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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.

  Z, `7 ^6 G' e5 {2 U4 `: a12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

; X& ~8 L/ M. X) H2 CAll 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.

& \, z+ k  y; R2 T, e13. 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.

5 M$ C: d0 Y& r" T# d7 T扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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. \. t: i4 i2 W4 G4 Z: p, }14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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.

- s3 A+ F5 S- z, e) @1 m15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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: s# L: M9 b' Q9 c! x. ZA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

% p: M7 E2 I, q5 H% G& N16. “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.

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.

3 \3 Y6 h; v5 L借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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3 N2 Q0 `6 K3 G) f3 [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.

: G! D+ _" h6 o哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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* z# L5 h, b8 R, a8 D8 k18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  u# d& R) ]* b3 a3 o0 _胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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0 b4 d! _; _" C; Z# z" C; i" g% M4 x19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

+ f7 X& P  s; ]6 d# c# t, `9 O2 GThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

5 r! M: L: n; ^The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

1 `6 t8 {5 c' M* G" p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。
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; `; k* q7 r! T  Q: 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

0 X9 ^; u& E- ?; b  F: x6 B上周日中午你去大统华了吗