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。

, b, v) {: R  ^" l+ b9 FShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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0 d9 _3 p* }: c- xShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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5 I/ P6 \; m8 v! c& G1 ?9 F+ @9 s动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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  s7 U4 ?( p2 F& v  O. X动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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* y" Z5 r8 W5 R4 |- Z9 i3 ]他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

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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$ b! E3 |# }- X% P+ _" m( K% gHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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+ G& L( W7 m! ?2 q# v" R! D: E$ E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
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$ T# Q7 n8 X+ I* P3. 十年树木，百年树人。

+ ^. T' n4 C* N" t; @* zIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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: E5 i  j& p( J4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

. z' g# V0 d3 H9 P$ i- I$ ]5 B1 ]He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

2 s$ {( c; t* M$ @# i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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

* ~0 r+ k4 u/ K4 R. I& A5 [8 dThe 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.

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.

4 J7 D' X) P& U' A7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

6 a0 r+ O% |, yThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

7 U% Q6 f+ |4 p4 C) v" C6 k. r" h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。

* x; K5 P* Z4 h+ QIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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/ l/ n! e+ p& d名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

2 w$ E& Y  Y  F9 M3 v& Ldeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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' i4 Z  l- b- U- J! J! p# Rlive up to one’s reputation

4 s8 n+ \" g. J/ U" g0 `9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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1 g& O6 t5 N! y# K- c) j  oMy 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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10. 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’.”

- F$ [0 m. h( P- E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。

, r- L- C. K5 i& t+ h* P  XTom 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.
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2 H- u" T% |/ X# f12. 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.
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3 L+ U. v$ }7 _0 `5 N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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! a3 w5 e' u% b$ j, L13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

9 Q6 t5 u  ?. OWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

( O+ p+ D" ~5 G, c# ?5 tA leopard can’t change its spots.

& N; C% i! z' H+ j8 w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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% \7 J3 _2 |- `$ V- d4 s4 b6 Z15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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。
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4 h) H& ^9 Q/ }! cTalk 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.

; k- O& j! d: t% W5 d: {3 n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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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8 ~2 `  v! o# F: h# ~) N17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

/ v/ Z2 }+ V' ~, q. A5 D18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

; k, `7 Q3 u& _' 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.
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5 W0 q/ S% r% l3 K; W扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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  P5 ~2 ?% V' f% K20. 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!
0 i3 @  X# A% F% ]8 ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ N) y: G4 h; e, `4 j: ~( z上周日中午你去大统华了吗