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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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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

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.

3 u% k: ?/ L3 E" A; V8 S5 m4 s不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

8 }8 G, `# ]4 A& P& grefuse to give up until all hope is gone

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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 Y- L5 w9 y. e) i  B7 x) G' u5 S石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

; K/ N9 S6 N2 p4 J5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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6 ], ?$ I/ U6 Z$ O# yThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

( j: t6 `' C- a) o' x0 }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.

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。

: b  v# O/ v. {: H6 \+ |/ j  ~He 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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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.

- T1 l) K; N2 k8. 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.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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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  `: Z8 Y- C; M! y$ j  }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.”

$ B+ r: l$ k: E' f* X+ y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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) i* r1 Q8 o" f* Y. b. x  `2 v10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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, \2 I3 j- Y5 p  e" s! C* hHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

$ `/ S) V; R8 [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.

# `; ?8 b& \0 a- `+ k* q* J+ m12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

$ S8 b+ w: H6 l! b" w) SAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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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' ]0 i& E: u) A1 O" }- @; jWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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  k% e; Z) P- \( y+ U# x: U" u扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

& \3 D9 O0 e( n2 O8 mA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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: _$ N7 x3 P3 p8 B  a5 q2 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。

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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0 t- p9 u9 a& d2 [6 @, _7 @& Z8 P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.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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2 {, g) O9 x$ N9 R9 J' t  H; ~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.
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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。
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" V# s8 {5 F5 i" C' W! `2 aHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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0 `5 D% A9 }  N$ p, H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。

, ]" n) ?+ H7 ]7 c% q: w' `" QThe 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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! ~. i! q5 C- i  y1 d" A% u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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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

" ^- K2 R: [3 n% R. {# h8 E/ X上周日中午你去大统华了吗