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

% O4 F, ~1 ?  q, Q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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$ ~) Q9 m7 h& R3 d$ {他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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2 n1 m- ?3 T& G& e* @$ R, d8 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。

He 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;

) N' \4 Q- I! u4 A9 w' C3 E+ O; xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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. c# v7 }, |# O3 K2 h7 C1 d3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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, `4 h; }- \0 V$ r# A3 ^It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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+ |1 a& ^3 B: `/ [3 p: z) r4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

; L3 \" ?/ ^; G2 `! L7 F2 [# D+ vHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 V9 u7 K# y& J( S8 m- Q% a5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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2 ?) X( `: ~0 q  H" {The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

5 C& J5 L9 ?$ B: T, M& s; ]1 z! cThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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5 f7 Y- V/ P: Y0 {( NIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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% h3 w% ]2 P6 v3 s8 l/ \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。

& B  ~6 Q: ]# m6 T9 OHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

4 X* N/ T- l  L# W张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

! O2 K$ K) ]/ P. r$ z7 K: P8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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/ K: l! n  ~  b# v7 [. {% e1 c# ]9 LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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# h: ~5 e/ q! U5 c1 s, zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 k$ j& M+ E! S( flive 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

- P/ w# T" `! }He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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) P( U3 w, F9 q6 o& n7 {- `. G# A画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

; M) Q. y, W$ C- U11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

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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/ i8 A" h2 j. `, G8 \! w$ B" 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.

6 I  g' l7 x3 ~) ]+ S/ a12. 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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/ W7 U4 P( _! e0 e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.

" j5 l* E6 f$ O$ i13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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& M8 c9 T3 Z- oWith 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.

5 Q( }  `& Y% v& ?( X8 e14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.

+ z. C" g2 Y* C' L8 L0 O15. 吃一堑，长一智。

+ f& K" D7 B; f8 j) g/ N7 F9 s( MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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8 J6 ^$ U: X0 c- p; a- C煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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$ x1 E# o' m5 e$ u# @5 R, w0 [2 _4 X17. 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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$ n4 q. `4 [& {! z18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

5 g1 j& e3 F: \5 t  `He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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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* J# b: S/ g, u! C/ ?The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

1 G( P4 c! Y) {2 ~  R( J0 m7 c1 j# nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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0 I* d/ ?* v3 @# a3 R/ t扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

6 v; z- v$ G2 V/ |  I0 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。
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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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗