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。

  |1 {( \6 E( [/ N7 a/ {" m# V% kShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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" t3 S' u; }1 d& G1 O$ d( E1 }She 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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, I4 v* d6 ?+ f: s; m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.
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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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 K( Z: K" v  f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 u' q5 |  Y& t; A% D+ ^- y3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

6 U% E" R7 p* A' l/ j4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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) j: k1 c. i+ _) Y* ~1 [/ eHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 ?$ [( V4 @! u' R: J  @; `* h: y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 s" o8 A' T/ E  F5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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$ q/ F" k; @6 ?2 K1 ]3 PThe 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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

# x, f5 F' @) J' }' }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。
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2 i4 v! n8 u0 V  U3 `+ ^$ ~He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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( B" u$ b5 L' |% T0 k7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

# F9 m( j  M6 p7 A2 ]% ^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.
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6 h5 L, G, m& k$ d$ R) y+ Y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

1 [- S  N% b$ ?2 S1 f# UIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

& k0 s, I, J# m+ j3 @& {( c4 e+ `  T名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

8 X) }5 m, w- _- {9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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: c& G# j  H& `: T/ o: L) ?: K: LMy 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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6 f. ^0 W2 K, N7 T& s* p1 k天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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% @5 U5 a* I+ ^2 W9 J! B10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

$ D8 w: |3 c5 X% k4 i* H1 I% t11. 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.
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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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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, N5 Z3 Q) I& O$ {$ F; `, @, l# V# IAll 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。

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.

  \& q( n- ?' P/ D14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

5 g" C% K! l# J, S/ h5 ]% ]8 S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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

# B- ^$ S* Q: X  `: j9 m; n16. “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.

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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* n/ H5 M/ J; N$ |6 w9 b17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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- e/ c3 _9 ^  {8 N+ j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

( @" P6 g- Q& ~& a6 @% P胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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7 W' i7 j" X$ y. |0 x5 p19. 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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# q9 m+ [) o6 H% s; [9 D- X3 `The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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& G. L- y) a% o, o' |3 JThe 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

; E( ?1 I, L2 s4 u* i* E20. 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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* \$ A8 v5 [1 Z% J# kHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
, i$ k  k. X- Y. Rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗