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.
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* i" J- y) _9 fShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

. w0 ~0 w4 D+ P3 f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

4 _8 J( F) y$ u. a1 F* {$ Z动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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, O, Y) E/ `( n3 \, g) u) S动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

6 M7 H# C' k6 M' l刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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! g7 v' ?+ \2 RHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

) q8 H0 \3 b8 }3 x' e; r# X& m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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

1 z  B1 B& m( m6 w6 }6 A4. 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.

1 X- C6 _" Y$ k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。

. K+ {( V* x- U9 YThe 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.

5 d! \  W* Q: X  q! w! wIf 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.

1 I5 [" E" W& N$ T" W6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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* O; W- p* F# l- @6 W4 W! [0 U9 k( aHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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# |  i  f6 ^# `9 H: d3 |This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

* k4 }" K$ E* L名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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5 u9 M) @$ i: y, U) N  ?deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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! a+ q8 w% p! n  f* J7 mlive 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。”
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7 X. s& l& @7 QMy 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.”

/ h7 h8 L, a2 P& L6 L6 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”。
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9 l- R) `; _6 L; G) eHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

* l' v( _" p' I' y& _, |# m% P画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

; A' T. q9 g8 L4 u11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

% b) |: h4 b0 \7 DTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

. W7 w; M' Y  w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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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! d9 m4 }' e! f1 V8 EAll good things must come to end.
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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.
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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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

2 G5 Z4 |2 A- ]- k" A/ XA leopard can’t change its spots.

8 h5 _4 V! p. L9 M4 d: D江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

, y; [( o8 t3 S# l) Q15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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" G. W! I9 U) B! c5 t+ `% A$ v16. “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.
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1 }; H, d" Z' @; K- D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.

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。

* ~- O# g0 |# b: z! W! Q: ?3 FI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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。

+ t: u5 G4 f; B: |! b/ wHe 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

0 e7 S& e* {9 f: f: h! \+ b; L2 `' f19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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, G) }# k' F/ |. u0 A1 G; h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!
1 H, A% W+ o$ P! @$ |billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗