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。

9 g' o$ K/ _6 @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
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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

0 ^% l4 z8 M: K8 b9 e  u他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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9 T+ v: g; m5 X2 z9 d刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

* K$ B/ U. S2 w& w4 U7 S2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- x1 m$ l5 E( a, ?$ MHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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+ l1 Y8 ~& [+ V$ L; e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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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% ~, w3 p  d6 J3 W6 kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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/ l0 f& P; [" W+ u5 d; F4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He 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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( ~9 e9 b6 s8 E5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

! p3 ~4 K' J" @* v& t* ?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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

$ T7 }5 W- P$ Q& l% Z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.

$ _! ^" {; H1 n$ j7 N5 T+ m6. 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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6 u' l4 Y- ]" g$ W5 g/ ?7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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) U4 l' M! M5 ]9 V4 u4 f1 X7 d4 [This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& ]" L7 A1 R: @2 T4 q, z/ M% _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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

/ S/ v( s( I8 {1 m9 v名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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  a( |) K; t7 L# L  f. Y9 Ideserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

8 j* C* Z7 g4 D$ p4 |% C9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

% ]1 p6 D8 f! |, U( S/ U0 y8 o天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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" K" t/ t/ e1 C' J10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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8 U2 c: N; d: Z: Z$ e0 D/ l+ rHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

& b/ p2 u" T3 g2 P  v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。

0 ^, p5 x& r- L/ w8 W. [! LTom 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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- C. L4 S" l9 E6 Q3 O$ h/ ^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.

+ d1 T- s* m' t* i12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

  v. _3 b! r7 N9 e1 i0 O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.

$ e2 S8 {+ A% a0 f# C! N13. 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.

! E0 q& \3 P- ?3 k' {3 T扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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/ {0 ?2 ~( }( [4 i& G3 {+ r14. 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.
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. d- V! a- Q3 g; e15. 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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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。

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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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.

; |7 m' @1 S# [借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

) ]' h4 n4 t8 d! r, a8 O) u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。

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

0 z7 N( U2 g" w. t, H' I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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# S2 k/ b9 j* V/ o2 tHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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8 R1 Y4 T( R3 E, q( c* P5 z胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

% T) G+ d  ]* S9 r0 [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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The 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

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。

9 w" C! R. b+ y4 d- O8 n( yHe 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