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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

, z& n& F# d0 I3 ~# T- P+ i  n他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! t$ w1 R  Y* w- v+ f, \刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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% \8 h: g/ d+ ?' W8 C( R* y2. 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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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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* l2 H  N- `5 W5 Prefuse to give up until all hope is gone

2 O+ h% w1 o. y3. 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.
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% n+ I6 R6 R* v+ ?( L. J  N4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
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( b8 F/ W& I# M" ^5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The 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.
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! q- g* f- N* EIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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。

' |! m6 f6 f% ?6 p* c" `He 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.

1 j$ O  K2 p, Z, k6 p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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" K0 ^1 {4 i; y9 B7 N) c/ P8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

1 |8 v! ^7 F/ }! k' L. cIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

( \" Y5 E5 b, B, J8 D# E4 ^live up to one’s reputation
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* W9 ]7 O2 W5 O8 `1 o9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

' F1 Y8 N( G0 l: d10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

% O+ V, t, _4 ~! b5 ^3 z' `He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

' W9 {% O- j! u' q+ F& B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。

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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1 b9 K0 T; }: W6 ]! r& z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.

+ q9 P+ j& `. n' _12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

, |7 g/ q( ?  }4 g1 ?2 r7 j3 lAll feasts must come to an end.
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1 q) D6 N' c0 y4 V! L( z  p# g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。

/ P) [0 g" y( c9 y( V5 C0 vWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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( w" o" b, j8 A2 w扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

' x% O- K( I% [6 K  I14. 江山易改，本性难移。

" }9 h7 k1 d/ H: gA leopard can’t change its spots.
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8 c0 B+ P9 f; `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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+ L! j1 X( j' j" ^  M0 K15. 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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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.
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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.
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5 ~# t5 L/ z) w- l5 A& ?- W" i借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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5 O  x+ N: F- p) }3 b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。

0 m# O" T  z7 wI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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, U" ^, H4 _3 x2 I* w& E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。
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+ C* V& u. l8 s9 k/ F, p& N: Y& @+ mHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

1 X$ }! q3 A$ ]5 q, D' yThe 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

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。

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

5 f) q4 s% a4 H% d' W7 `& m上周日中午你去大统华了吗