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。

. W* \" d% U7 c( `She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

9 W, w; f, j' a: w* d) S2 ZShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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) b* @- P& {1 z7 f" H# v9 J他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

* D: W, j6 b$ p) y  C* Y* `刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

7 c& ^- H6 X4 m  tHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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。
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8 B3 A/ A  U9 K+ r. U5 M# aIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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0 y# n) S, k! N$ e$ S9 S! Z4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

, q" D# m& m% N0 Q" ?* bHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

( _5 A" r( I) b* @' s2 {1 O石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The 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.
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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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( S$ c/ k  h0 |. h! f) n6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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+ _  V/ L6 F  S+ `/ cHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

0 Z% N1 k( |) m0 lThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

1 b& b3 E1 P$ CIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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: l( |6 i, _! c$ m" B! @名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

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.”
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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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5 k, M' ]) p; v1 PHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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0 F( Q8 s8 ~* n画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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' i6 L- x3 \( Y8 ^1 F1 u11. 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.

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。

All 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。

2 V: y' w1 M- j4 C; l" _* j; fWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

6 R  x# _( [/ g" u- [扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

8 R2 h2 f  \- I- y' D. O14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

7 q0 w: H' p' s1 x( P" ?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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5 J: f. O/ [$ v1 F8 QA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

0 W. R3 @; ~) _1 C$ i  |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.

, M7 K( B. u- t. y/ _& V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.

7 X  i# \& c+ y  a* u- @* ^煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

) n' n2 J# x$ D: Q1 O( \" s8 U! _& z3 X17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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5 ^3 X/ ]1 q% Y/ j. G2 V' M( m1 cI 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

5 }2 _# x. q. S18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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) [, X# n' f! |7 b+ IHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

- T- E$ b$ U( p+ T胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

( J: S; [; H4 J3 q6 S+ E* B19. 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.

/ s. a' y- A/ L# G+ BThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

- b6 v. j  {' \, S, Q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。
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& [1 z: E" V( t& H$ ~- M3 D5 IHe 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