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。

% J+ d. P0 K5 n* yShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

, M# d) j0 ?/ q# J/ E5 d& L( s  t动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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, J/ N4 I3 d0 U, f& W5 S动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

9 D7 h8 A3 w" Z9 z8 W; U% H: \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

( G. x  i# t5 |- h- O$ U2. 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.

! ^/ Y7 {% [+ B# N- L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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, ?- A+ a1 Z% _: w1 [# xIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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, q& @: J, B7 i9 u9 H) h. I4. 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.
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2 L9 D3 G7 _/ f: ]+ l0 B% 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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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. T2 Y+ B% F( c" V- E4 {The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. f1 B' @3 u3 ?/ o6 {If 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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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4 u0 Q" r' N! q# v* y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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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.

7 _8 l4 Q1 W: g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

  [& r. `1 _1 u) a$ l( `4 Edeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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& I' k; y+ F, H3 U- T6 t+ ]( ^( G) olive up to one’s reputation

8 q, n) m& m6 B7 D9. 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.
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2 s# k# Z5 m7 `" O! v10. 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’.”

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.

2 f* ?! M" _, Y; _+ t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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  V: C. C; |% }- p( S# }# `" L; r12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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" j+ O% C& |( g& c4 S% uAll good things must come to end.
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. @6 c  ?$ s* l0 e8 S  j* G0 |All feasts must come to an end.

8 S; o* y9 ~8 R7 j$ c1 v( }. \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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( H! a- b0 \5 v- `' `With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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) f4 ^) E) K. P8 i9 z9 o: `% C# L1 L扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

. P: z0 K" V# @- n14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

8 r1 Y% P! ]- r; H$ k( `江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

" h" [3 m7 Q- J+ q) R& O' L15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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0 ^# Y/ y. {* P* J* A5 I16. “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.

$ x& h5 b5 H0 x8 n) M3 \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.

. `4 Y! }9 W! q, W" M' W借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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/ G# A. _7 b! E* E9 p, O9 M煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

! F; r$ A! d9 f8 l( }( Q% v17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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+ V  ~* [6 h  q, }+ j' F, bI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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( U) u( D! D$ B# a- |# Q18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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& g3 u% m6 N+ R" h' mThe 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

2 W" j6 I3 q+ q! }8 [: E& V5 a20. 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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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

' `, Q2 v$ F' r# n8 k8 }1 X1 L上周日中午你去大统华了吗