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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 f" h  ]7 }+ B# d; S8 t; H) i1 C动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 m3 R5 \+ `0 h& t- e: d/ `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

0 ?* O. g1 z8 H9 E& k) S5 h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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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. u5 a8 ?* W: l& ]) kHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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( v5 j4 g+ m0 E) z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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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& J9 v3 B' K2 W. Z/ v' p- c9 {4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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4 a5 ~, J3 K) [/ X/ x# XHe 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。

: n* [7 F( `1 T2 b6 d2 L' a1 fThe 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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- |8 x5 p8 R! k$ {' T+ KIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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1 t9 H: z& K* W" l6 I! g: {, n# R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.

( i3 B! E: N7 J( t9 P6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) p0 U+ b7 J6 M" K; F$ m* t, d$ y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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+ l  a% \" M: h1 f# H. o张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

' M0 U3 h* H3 A5 m6 }9 X% u8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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。”

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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" S+ {( h  t: _3 Q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”。

0 A/ c. d' _& ~1 M$ V# J; QHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。

+ i, g, V8 {2 h. o) ~) `Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

7 s6 G: o1 @  z: n6 b& n- ]# ^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。
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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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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。

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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

3 W: Z% v5 b, Q. l  r0 F3 JA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

( r+ D4 A& G& e2 b; C6 N16. “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.
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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.

% J* q& a3 ]& q4 P  v; O2 y煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

( Z6 ^: O  {! a4 F17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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+ o) u6 w& {9 w6 N18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  C# J  r  H5 k/ |& G0 C9 D. {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。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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- H3 Q0 N; _+ e) qThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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。
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- a9 _4 S& h1 x$ Z1 o  o1 NHe 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

6 u6 q4 d/ |2 |& O0 s上周日中午你去大统华了吗