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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% k: |$ @: Q/ |+ q/ {She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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$ q' X& r+ a% ]1 d% j2 uShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

, v& u* G! E3 X: s; F- `9 `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.

, j, w, \8 `) U2 I刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

- ~5 i' f4 m8 a8 b4 S2. 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.
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4 r# A6 W4 b7 Y* O$ a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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8 S: O" C8 c( c, d  |refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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. U$ K' u5 g( e$ w% H3. 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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! @* i% |. E3 AHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

# |' T# k" b/ b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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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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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) k  _. E! Y) K) \3 fIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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) p6 S, T4 n3 _  P" k: H1 U  c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。

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.

6 @- K+ c5 x  i8 k& ?张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

. j% E+ u! T9 x, @8. 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.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

1 X6 t0 o8 G/ u# Q5 B/ D2 w& B7 ^deserve the reputation one enjoys;

. @# Y6 ^1 A* M! |1 |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。”

5 h2 |4 X( D# |2 l( _! z$ y: D1 |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.”

4 r; L1 \  Z" s, Y+ k天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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; n$ y' Q) l" OHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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" ]5 |5 ]% X% Z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。
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8 l* w3 T& ?7 D: B; X  |8 f1 {" _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。

3 `% j) f0 h% mAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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/ L0 v- s0 b% L6 T7 t# V7 ]& X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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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& h- I# b2 [4 ^; X$ oWith 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.

9 A3 [+ P$ I5 R" x/ M& O14. 江山易改，本性难移。

4 l: {4 t4 B" L; OA 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.

; d( v1 T! J- z$ p15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A 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。

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.

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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/ q! C3 E" u6 X1 p3 {借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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+ u3 w2 j7 a, {, P7 l  G0 k, i- k哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

6 _* s. f6 D6 Y) B18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

9 c( l: E4 O2 `* L# X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。

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.

6 v7 ], R& t' c8 p5 K扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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2 U3 v4 [+ ]5 x2 O+ J20. 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!
% u1 B  D, q' Gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗