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.
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* J, d4 b/ d7 n% a/ tShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

$ p  b- L5 J3 `3 g$ b; t! p动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

/ V  g4 g* h% Y- m- P: y他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

" F% q4 h9 Y" k- k9 |# f刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

* B4 s) b6 i* ?  R4 A2 b" [He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

2 z" c) i9 t" F! y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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( r0 g0 y' X6 [7 E; 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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! `, ^  b+ m) m5 hIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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! K0 L+ R4 g4 K& {# w. @! S4. 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.

; f2 E+ n, N6 N# _, N1 @% G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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; ^4 R2 v  z- |, D& q- B5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

0 I$ K* [4 }. J7 wThe 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.

, s  M- D: }1 R' [4 eIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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# f4 ]8 |2 Q2 b0 r3 Z% J4 hHe 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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6 Z; A! [6 ^' X0 gThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

2 `% Y9 s0 V' k6 s- X+ |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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8 C) z0 G$ N0 I# w8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

# R$ l- A7 a4 k4 @: EIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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& K+ \9 o. ^$ R' s, d0 V名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

' B( T+ C5 [: W* flive up to one’s reputation

% d* `4 ?9 {3 o# R9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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% b8 P1 t4 R) |6 d' i, lMy 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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, F; C2 T" C, B1 g; T天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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) Y; D. C* g$ |$ L' ~! c% T$ V0 K10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

4 o7 u1 A; f+ k! l: z7 o9 ~画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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$ l2 u( G* N; ?4 ~$ qTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

5 [6 a! H. ]: }8 |5 i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 g# z2 s) ~12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

: j0 ^( M% m2 I+ qAll good things must come to end.

8 c- [* M5 V: Y) \All feasts must come to an end.

8 q2 D: k$ s+ B/ n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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: W6 P" v  @  l; `  ?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.
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% n( g2 \& d' r扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

- m' l3 [, F+ n* |2 j- M7 [% b14. 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.

15. 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。

' U8 i* N4 j7 C% z8 U' vTalk 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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- o" }- z0 u+ A( V( g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.

4 e- A2 h" U  y! U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。

I 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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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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4 U% l& d7 G, R& G, }: e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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The 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.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
' h; {* z# t- w9 O, Wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗