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。

/ g2 y) R6 O% }7 ~* j  P  ]  `' TShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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: ~7 f% u1 Y! Q& [She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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) W' R; D. b# L0 M动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

% L& I0 @" @! Y! p2 f) t% D0 Q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
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& b8 y# O; d) R  ]; m2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

8 @: e) F0 n* n, n8 K5 b+ D  ~  tHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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* M/ g7 w9 K: u4 |不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

* F( U+ F9 A& \: e& Z! R+ O& h3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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; p% q# Y% Q/ Q& g9 _- bIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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' E1 B+ |6 b& u. U! u4. 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.
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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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

+ S! ^1 C+ a7 N0 WThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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! g7 |  J+ t6 y# T# D2 z$ Z/ GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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" Y1 X& ?6 s( C5 x9 \% e' ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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3 Y  M! {- f  G6 g# W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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6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

7 f& ?% t0 I+ t- w. z! F7 `3 HThis 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.

5 `: T; }, F( b9 l4 }8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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) n% e2 C7 _8 I6 D1 hdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

- `; v0 S) S' v  O9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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 q% B! L- N6 {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”。

+ I3 }, v2 }2 g0 c' I! O9 THe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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。

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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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.

$ C) y0 j( F6 d/ A8 [* G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  l# o$ q4 K& a9 o: g2 cAll good things must come to end.
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' }5 Q2 j# P, b  {5 Q+ q8 cAll feasts must come to an end.

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.

' Q- {. s. ~/ T0 w: Z% F7 R; P' g13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

% A, d" Y! {' s  |With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

) Q6 d2 C* F1 ?2 P' G6 g9 S/ j: P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。

+ ]- I) J6 R9 N! x( h* a5 z: nA leopard can’t change its spots.
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# v" a- @& f2 N" l: \/ L$ [% q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。

6 k5 ^4 j+ V- A8 b( p; uA 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。

, L- y7 P1 S0 u$ GTalk 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.

2 Y" D; r  ]/ M" D9 T! ], |, }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.

- H- m/ f# X( a0 Q0 U$ X6 d# C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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9 d$ @5 B- q+ H; g) ?' 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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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。
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He 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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' Y" F  v+ s( Q0 y. X19. 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.

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

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!
! t1 \) y# s- O' W( ?" J+ L9 L" T1 ?billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗