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.

  ^+ m8 W! T: q: B& j6 g& ^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
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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

! j- c9 V$ Z+ b7 ~9 o他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

  O+ I! B3 G- u8 O. N5 m1 j& z7 v刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

5 T4 [8 |* }# f, e5 h) c2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 |, j8 _9 J& g- b7 AHe 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;

1 O* J7 S7 S, d3 [! I  arefuse to give up until all hope is gone

( C+ r4 p3 O, c( c( X' F3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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4 _/ m; ^: c: [- lIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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% r" u5 @$ N/ q- i( R4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

- ~8 l! ^4 d$ U: S& Q+ bHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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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# K/ S# o) {! t4 R! GIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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! E5 X' Y" o& {% v' C- f% z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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5 o2 \+ W# |/ s; V6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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: n  l9 z( e0 B$ N7 h2 X8. 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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" V7 [6 E' ?+ }8 I$ P/ J名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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) G/ E% @2 k4 a9. 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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5 b  X! E+ l7 ^. Q, Q. y. r& J2 {% s天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

7 P, j+ `! k% ~10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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: I/ l- Y+ D8 |He 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.

) {  S6 @4 ^  Q7 t11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

. u+ D* z& E0 Z- VTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

/ f, c3 L( c" o* d4 l- 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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4 _  L  }' M5 N12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

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。

! \4 `5 ?  [0 `/ |$ x$ L4 hWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

  a% A! N2 `7 k6 C3 v8 c9 [A leopard can’t change its spots.

9 I" Y1 p" _9 k* y' O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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" I( g5 R) X% ^( ]4 b15. 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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+ ?1 q  k; P5 e9 F借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

0 P! ^# I' D& L& R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。
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$ q- o) h( E( [6 FI 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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$ S' A& c: b5 c' a+ o: d  H18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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* b, `5 Z/ W) XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The 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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. O0 `: M: @) e. n20. 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。

; \/ \0 A* R! ]+ y8 X' GHe 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