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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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! \1 M' X, T# A. ~( i; B+ y' xShe 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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1 t- z* S7 ?9 G% S* s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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) w  S) F  U+ T4 j( F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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

1 M* i/ N$ l, a1 i9 Q3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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; Q0 X' |) s& sHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

4 g- Q  @( _' c7 @/ M+ W, H5. 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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0 {: G; ^+ E: _7 R7 PIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

! a: s6 \' `9 w0 {: y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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7 S" g& k* Z, G6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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& V$ {, a) f, S8 N4 b: p7 _; BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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/ T. u5 V6 D' z9 K5 Z. n/ N7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

5 [% I; y: M) W9 q1 }% IThis 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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1 X$ T2 A. C* M9 f8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

: ^% ~8 ^2 w0 r( j& B7 ~名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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% }' N0 ?) q2 QMy 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

1 y# f4 E5 u3 q; }10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

" t) f) b# a* f! k( t) g9 [He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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! w8 J% Q9 F+ U" W: P7 k" K# a画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

2 g% f( z5 ?, v  Y0 q11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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4 l) G1 t6 p" D" z/ h1 ?Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

, o. B! ?+ T2 g7 f5 JAll feasts must come to an end.
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: I& d4 j- Z  }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.

7 p: k6 p7 X2 k+ C$ J13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

/ N4 V- ]' f8 t; q: C扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

" \$ J, K$ P0 f2 _3 N14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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# C0 A6 F  m" w" E  uA leopard can’t change its spots.

6 [5 M4 h/ a5 m( X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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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。
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: M% J2 C( M% x' qTalk 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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  f- e; H' G* C* E/ S- H& e( c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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3 Z  _5 l* n9 }3 C0 }, v煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

2 A& p6 L) A( e. I. q17. 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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6 @  o1 G5 x# m) x% `  U& X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。

( S4 X1 ?) L, z. p) lHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* k$ A8 [% V: v" \5 F1 j19. 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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4 J4 P- n* a. G/ W! Z* g6 FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗