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。

! k) C: N/ W, h! n5 DShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

9 F0 G. k. S! D  AShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

+ t  W. ~  G, j! \动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

9 C( ]+ }- S$ q7 D4 E* @  u6 V动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

: q# x5 _9 J$ O2. 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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1 i  F8 Z' u- ^5 c! d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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! ?; k% Y+ P+ M& ^' F( A1 M, I# urefuse to give up until all hope is gone

7 T6 j: x; }9 Z! \: {3. 十年树木，百年树人。

6 F# Q8 G5 L# t! wIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

+ h) X* i2 `- h1 K/ }4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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9 ?2 r' [7 N  zHe 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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. H' _- `& H% T, N0 x5. 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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2 ?4 p+ K8 @/ o  S3 Y2 D5 X5 r: u$ 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.

' }  w/ D  Q( b2 r4 w5 i6 ]6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

3 y& R  a# r# c: Y: Z% WHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

3 B% j+ U* F! p. n5 t7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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# `. ^; B3 Y, i1 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.

; A, Q4 ?1 w# ~0 L' [8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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5 U) X! V6 I2 F& Z* a. j% c5 v7 iIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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8 y( [, i. g% j3 b6 Q, l名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

& N" z" d" s: V" ]: nlive 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。”
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) l/ d/ i9 V$ V' R5 |( F; i2 C- b& CMy 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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. [) ^' O$ j/ Q, h天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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- s7 S6 C( }# H8 Y) e& i0 n: c10. 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’.”
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% Z; I" @- E- X& I画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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" q+ X0 p( [- R$ Y! B11. 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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+ r1 T3 l6 ~# {: d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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) u$ E( m% l1 [3 F/ y: A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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) f% G- w4 c1 BAll good things must come to end.
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7 m' H5 K6 R4 h$ L& i: cAll feasts must come to an end.
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. j3 t* `5 T6 C; Z: h* {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.

: f9 P# c) i% p13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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) N0 I- E: F) L+ e) FWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

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。
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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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7 o; e! k5 @% T+ X! z. UA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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, u$ E# K# e. S' [" N# t16. “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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$ T) N% T9 q* m% H- g5 S: @8 DTalk 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.
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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
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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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

( f' H* v9 H1 j9 E- I% r" O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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, v) T. V1 E3 a% B3 N/ I1 ?The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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0 J% B* ~8 |, }+ [  `, t! a4 L' tThe 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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5 k# U" [7 e. Q+ G% [) r* z& @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。
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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

+ z' h8 c$ F2 r$ }上周日中午你去大统华了吗