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.

: K, L( Z: i, f1 f1 s8 L2 w: k. tShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

8 s& k& A, D, u4 |7 y  }动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 t( k8 F1 {8 d7 n3 A& \动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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" \6 c7 Z" s. ~8 }5 W" X& w$ q8 f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

. J! ]' j4 }& y6 g) H) o2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

+ O8 a9 }0 C0 i& FHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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- n) {0 u( V' s4 S" N' Irefuse 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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It 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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! z9 a/ B% u8 K) i( |8 D, x2 x$ {He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

' c, e" a: ~$ R& A; L' t0 l, T石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

8 j" Z2 S, l  u& w/ c6 j- U5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The 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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7 r5 E! J; D2 M5 w$ M3 AIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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, I( P$ l$ k) h+ v7 z4 j# 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.

& M3 H) q1 Y% J/ j- s4 F6. 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.
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$ q; {3 r1 J$ l& a* K7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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! N0 ]3 B8 P9 _. @. m2 r3 E3 i6 oThis 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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6 M, k( N3 b# C: f9 n9 j8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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7 {- t- z1 I; i+ d. u+ eIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

) _- R3 u5 {" Q7 X* B名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

' X6 a2 E8 F& C10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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2 _+ [, e- Q3 T1 L0 q* k1 oHe 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.

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.

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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' }; @9 U  w1 {& {7 a% l12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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! a7 k" a7 Q  ~3 n  dAll feasts must come to an end.
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" N4 p* v3 d0 c: D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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

* m( ^- s9 }6 K0 A14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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2 t4 c' B1 M: e! k3 c) aA 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。

# Q; G7 T8 u  `. JA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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$ |6 A. D! ~/ q, S% |% O16. “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。

1 V  P2 m$ Q! G  H' j; wTalk 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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# m$ P& S! {  M5 X3 s借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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, K! ?# R& h5 y! o' @0 |; G煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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% m1 `& q9 R: q6 v$ ^17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

7 D* s! B3 K% z! VI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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/ G+ M( y6 O0 e  C$ ?6 K, A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.
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: F2 Z3 j- ~4 t+ E  t胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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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- v# f& E" V9 Y! u  VThe 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

4 p2 K( D) @5 ~. @  G% S20. 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!
# q& _6 F8 V- e- S& z3 d7 mbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

- X' b& |# |; K上周日中午你去大统华了吗