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.

( Q& ~0 ?/ m0 m" }7 _, M7 a! ~She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

  E- M/ K, Q: f9 o' k动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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; Q5 [0 j3 K( B( c( G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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6 `' h8 N2 R" U" N7 d) k6 N, z他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

1 w& v3 A! P) e0 P7 E5 S$ i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.
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) f4 o6 |, |' s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

" ~$ u: w. A6 c* ~9 {0 {3. 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.

. C) v9 ^' B/ ^- b- t; x4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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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! N5 p' T8 A0 p2 b4 Z, 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.
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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.

* e3 Z/ B4 \+ R; U' _& k6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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7 f0 V$ F" Z. y9 k: iHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

! w/ ^( {% e6 R. v) ]! W( y6 t7. 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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$ |" ~* Z, a9 M2 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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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8 p, }. |" A+ b  i8 \名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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# Y$ w- H; ~. x1 dlive up to one’s reputation
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  A* w% V& |% Y& N( l8 \9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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0 b3 e6 m" z- O% p$ b+ fMy 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’.”

4 Q8 \! v, o" c9 J; |5 B% Q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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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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5 w  O1 Q2 |  c5 }4 J( C$ A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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& t8 ]% h. x; V2 P2 d% pAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

' d9 M, _/ T2 E! \7 F9 T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。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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5 r% k5 k. j; ~% C) u$ U扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

5 N! M8 ?- j' m5 L* d1 @6 C" v. pA leopard can’t change its spots.

7 T' Q- Q( p. J7 M# n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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- f: a* [. v6 B4 Z2 `4 D1 ^3 l15. 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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4 A. N, R7 ?; v16. “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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" u/ @4 z) j  h* I7 LTalk 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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" ~6 a0 F2 I4 {! 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.
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& W  W4 |4 t& [3 g借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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! n% K. `, U* V( G% }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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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9 u, d2 J; m" K哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

1 t: k$ M% s, ]" n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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% `  e  X5 c# f- K& ]# M- s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。

2 o2 b  V" d0 C3 }He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 w5 f9 H8 }5 u: D( t! U  cbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗