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。

- X; x1 m% M+ T1 D3 Q/ t  I: lShe 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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: G$ B' ?' j/ ]' {动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

: r6 e' h: o" Z* M动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

  P1 y8 c4 C" f/ M他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

  O& F! `' a: J" Y3 x6 Y  C刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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% j4 s. u" k, ?$ r0 q+ qHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

, G  e) H7 N- x% `% x不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

+ K1 v6 H) z) ^0 yrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

9 K2 Q8 r+ C$ s/ @0 e% M# k3. 十年树木，百年树人。

' M% ]. y, a+ o# o/ ]% M; aIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

0 K; Y9 |8 A1 L* K7 R4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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.

/ f7 }9 M$ K. w4 b7 j. P5. 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.

) ^% v, _( ?4 i) M0 _2 {The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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3 c: a; B, |3 IIf 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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, z2 s5 w& }( h: K6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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. S) @8 z' w3 X% ?This 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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: t) ?) u4 T9 m) X& M8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

" J; i7 `( |! Q: E6 ^It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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$ t) |; A! ~& f, j, udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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% I+ O0 n4 ]% }( Glive 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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8 _1 V: b  q. r: b4 {. A天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

1 L, l+ A5 i5 K  Z( b& d6 N$ J7 @10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

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.

7 I# ^0 u" l- t8 G- J1 Z2 [11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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* `5 C- T  s* \Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

, \$ u, S9 B( ~: \* |. d( t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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

% p! ?; F5 r$ T  RAll good things must come to end.

3 r2 c9 K  X; y8 c4 r1 [& Y" L$ n! aAll feasts must come to an end.
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- [4 T' ~' S# |) R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。

8 I* W6 H: O7 N7 _3 S6 S' FWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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0 e+ [% t9 T: H. D9 N& e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。

; P& k. |$ a& h/ C7 w( p+ JA leopard can’t change its spots.

+ q9 P, P5 i: N$ L% h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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4 k! R" i) T' p% ?5 O7 X* a15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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" _) M2 l- [, V& h# T/ ~5 e* |8 eA 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。

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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% \9 D) L# E2 m0 u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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# @5 K& ]5 n' S& F/ |9 j17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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$ X. J# _" c$ c$ u哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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' |( G& U6 g4 LHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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3 O5 I* p0 P- h4 F, v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.

& R2 [7 L* j# T  N" Y; d* LThe 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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8 h) a+ e' q, B9 I& r- W20. 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!
7 i6 i$ g9 g6 Y$ N4 v# F: {billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗