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.

0 q0 S) C1 w4 p# l, S; O  t3 LShe 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
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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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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

( U# }4 T9 g- G刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

$ T+ [4 ~" D3 e, C7 ~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.

" {" j6 ^, P- Y% ^- r2 N* g: g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

6 X1 O6 t; X/ K8 e3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. P+ k9 g6 F0 l; t; ~% F4 rIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

: B8 \; Y! ?* u( x: m7 M: N) L4. 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.

* T3 L: e7 @8 F- K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。
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6 q! u4 U( R1 @1 b5 _, [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.

4 D) X: [5 y" JIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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。

/ y/ M. o2 Y$ O, n1 ^He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

* m- |  X( b7 w; Y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。

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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5 s" ]* ]- V+ v$ D+ w, mdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

3 ]; O7 @3 \! Ylive up to one’s reputation
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' O/ E0 z! s+ O! p) ~5 n9. 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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) V; x$ ^$ s( k6 q( r10. 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’.”
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9 z  _, a$ t% _7 |' Y画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

& `/ C- t  Q# T/ W& ITom 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.
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; |3 P( R; g6 |' \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

2 \' `7 V" u  Z! n/ XAll feasts must come to an end.
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- G3 I) O+ U9 [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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$ M7 U7 \0 N' G+ L) n2 A13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

! ^+ `7 h9 ~9 y1 ]' f# K" d7 ]With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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* e! z' f4 [& A- n8 b8 b$ }扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

2 D0 l% a+ Z, n. y14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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- o2 `, i% b9 l4 f" y15. 吃一堑，长一智。

" O: ~9 B! P% Y( |/ X6 C, V4 ^' }% DA 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.

7 g; N; l1 |, s5 q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.

6 j# S" \: r+ e9 B煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

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.

# G$ C5 @9 t4 q* _- k4 a% S0 v哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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: R8 Y4 B& r3 w3 P( m18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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
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/ a. |4 k+ H4 o3 V0 }' G* ^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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( j& |& r7 u2 e* sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

; W7 o# T7 ]* A: SThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

( R/ P5 J# N+ e8 X; |/ X* t3 u1 V20. 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!
4 H7 G* ~8 p9 D8 ?8 S% cbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

" o/ V' O# B4 p上周日中午你去大统华了吗