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。

( f$ S* b+ K8 v0 C" ?3 d! `She 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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' y. L! T5 h0 ^8 e1 v, p' w8 c8 Z: U动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

! U4 C3 Q3 ]* |3 s动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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6 o, }, _+ ~& B, N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.

& o" z6 D7 f# @* j* i刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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' {! _+ C6 O4 P3 c% @, W# g2. 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.

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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

# C' j' g; R. j/ @, t/ k8 Z4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) Q. ^$ f2 O- L  |& b: H5. 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.

& q, F/ C2 W, d5 }The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If 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.

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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, @! r0 o& ?6 H' @8 U8 L+ M2 WHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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, j5 \6 C5 q. q9 [8 K% a7. 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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张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

9 K+ I+ M9 I5 c名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

# Y6 ~- b: @" N9 Q3 l6 Edeserve the reputation one enjoys;

0 c5 U# S% @8 l& r6 ]% |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。”

& D* I6 f/ d/ i0 c/ `1 [! tMy 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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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.

; j7 N3 K1 v' U" X* u6 C5 Y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

% E$ \% L& ^( B, M* Q5 f" ~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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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7 \# L( R$ P# |* fAll good things must come to end.

! E7 Q) q$ ?8 @1 C; PAll feasts must come to an end.
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6 i2 S( H$ m- p# N3 t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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$ C5 X# Q8 L% a3 `- S13. 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.
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' ?) u& P7 ~$ n$ S* N4 P2 H扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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6 l) g8 l& }8 h( j% H3 R3 W14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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5 K" J) x; d+ i1 q5 s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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+ N; T( z+ \* e) o7 v" P15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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6 R& X: ~) l; ~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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. C: ]9 J! A5 u# s5 yTalk 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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6 U' B  P, f  j/ @# w6 b5 q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

/ H4 Y. R2 [9 x) T& H17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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' _/ \' m; }! ~  ?- bI 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

" L9 q+ ?$ ?5 A' @% {- S  \4 M  G  L18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

2 _" y; Q* W6 W, y% K! vHe 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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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# u' Y. |4 R5 c. I% O- uThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 a6 j& w/ A$ D20. 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

/ t* N6 Y4 t# K+ n4 S7 K上周日中午你去大统华了吗