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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

$ w4 W3 K) N$ g3 F' P动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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# R1 _. ]! f" \7 t4 |; D- F6 p. a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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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4 A  c9 E& I& }, j5 Z. q2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

, q0 ~& V) X5 _+ DHe 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;
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' f5 \. [, M* s! wrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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1 c' y& B- E* M7 yIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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。

, x3 y  g! P5 I( o, sThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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1 J. d4 ~3 I( }9 G" v: G$ n* bThe 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.

' [' J) R/ I5 G% @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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- Q( W4 ]+ }; V+ ]) OHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 F& o$ y- O' g! O7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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  v8 L* k* d' R# q6 O- f3 PThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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: Y. q& _5 q0 D6 q! @- T8. 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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

1 M0 p5 g. B# u; D$ w6 y" Mdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

% @3 j* D7 O) |4 g6 [( slive up to one’s reputation

3 o( }- G! d- s* L6 c2 K3 }4 N7 D: M2 {9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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+ D* O, E1 X: P- v4 _% Y, }8 |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.”

2 E8 ?0 L) N: E, Y3 _7 T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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

1 B$ X6 q: a1 p0 g* y) }5 ~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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( I9 b" g: ?# n5 ?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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6 @, a% r, G% E+ [! L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。

All good things must come to end.
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% `6 a9 x. s; E3 a- n' u: J& K8 iAll 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.

& o* I6 v; M: P; c1 |* m+ ]13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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- b6 ]: E' S' g8 {* `& y4 _With 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.

2 d5 M% U* o, X- P: v/ @- R+ k# n14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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# T" ~2 u6 S& n# X0 l* NA leopard can’t change its spots.

2 N, f$ {# |" x  c& d4 ^! 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.
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15. 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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  R+ V0 @. n* m5 u' ~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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7 ?$ E( }7 M, O, b8 m% M  b. d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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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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1 P( [# w- o! F0 O胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

( V0 ?2 N. L( O/ F19. 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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$ L2 y6 |6 r/ K0 ?8 M/ V/ S2 w5 L- AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

6 }, P# M/ K0 [+ d( [扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 x2 R. h7 b6 ]$ u20. 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。

. J* j  I% A0 \9 AHe 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

' T2 z+ t; m4 n/ ^9 l; l7 \4 i* x上周日中午你去大统华了吗