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。

/ P+ w- ]9 U- Y6 \# mShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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" M0 j; D) f- ^  B0 t+ ]8 NShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

6 V0 P* I; V) d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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

% g7 Y- N, J+ s: ~9 j2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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" p# c) q- I+ H: }* C  \- `1 oHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

5 Y9 \) ?6 }( d# ~3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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. W5 v% n1 V: o0 ~$ sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

, w% `! H, t1 Z9 K2 v4 D& d/ l( a4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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9 Q) E, J6 ], m8 P2 \6 wHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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& w% B  v: x7 O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.
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& _# z3 [& @. m5 X2 @The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

1 O2 b, p4 [' i7 [- m6 x4 ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 D3 r8 D: a9 o, q" |! h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。
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6 R9 e: |" P" j1 wHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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3 P/ Y$ H- Z5 ^5 T: P0 f$ g, s7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% b0 b  r' H7 j, i0 `0 Q' P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。
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: _& g2 o3 g# q; LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 s- v) y. p, V" ~1 y2 m/ Glive 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。”
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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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) e+ j$ I8 w% j6 }0 w! 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”。

( O1 v) [+ B: G$ y  {He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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。

9 A# x/ l. ]' M7 ~8 RTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

  o( ~5 E7 G: o% I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。
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All good things must come to end.
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: C' y/ Z0 X! CAll feasts must come to an end.
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- R+ Y  |0 |0 p" P1 R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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: j# z5 w7 v( Z0 B3 q13. 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.
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9 j1 f4 r: t8 b% ]* e扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

$ u( d6 z# Z* {4 y' l14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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$ P. u6 X4 O- n7 K' h" c* k  I0 R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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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0 m: H) ~: K1 J) y6 Z/ g& k/ w. h16. “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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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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; S* `/ p# w- b5 I3 k  U! B# R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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! J2 X2 i( V% e* X) Z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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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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/ ?+ t' h1 h$ |, j哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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$ k  W' {* B! A" n, G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

3 E/ D& T9 T+ \0 r& A19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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3 r  ?# z, `3 ?2 u. r+ ZThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

" n, C& x3 n0 u% W" S) H6 w4 C扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

He 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

9 X1 B3 G3 `/ V0 @  d1 y上周日中午你去大统华了吗