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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! Q0 B8 P$ V2 g$ f6 V8 D% uShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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1 D( b, ~. J  x0 b* p动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

1 f0 u' s2 x, c% k2 g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.
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' v% q  z6 m4 a+ {$ s1 E7 Z刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

8 G, R1 t! y$ p5 p# Y, t2 A2. 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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& g; {1 j3 [9 M4 g) V6 E& Y9 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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0 ~0 `3 i; q+ ]; ~refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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# X3 @! \- L9 @+ O0 n0 u7 n  Q4. 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.
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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.
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+ j2 H0 Q, e' |) U8 q+ P, E  z: q5. 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.

8 M( \$ q% }4 R8 Y. `0 X2 j0 uThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

3 V/ s& Y% m" E1 [! ]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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9 Z8 R3 B, J3 ?" i; y% H( N6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

1 O( ^0 E2 `/ J3 v0 U% [4 L3 ^7 r7 SHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

* u- R# C9 P, Q  X/ a7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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% {0 S4 E9 P$ G8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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: a0 X7 q  y8 K! u9. 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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8 p- c+ w- ?- l10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

, _3 m5 X. z- b7 E9 J; [He 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.

' z. {! y$ F# X. |& ]11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

; t- x9 P& V8 v  r2 G$ E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.

! C0 Z2 z0 G" @' P5 \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

1 _2 f5 s) u+ u9 }& _0 A/ LAll good things must come to end.
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' M! ], E( e& J+ x+ yAll feasts must come to an end.
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! v& b# v2 G8 e4 \& W$ e- _' t3 Q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.

6 [/ c' H8 `) [: z+ P) B( s7 ?) d13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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0 j/ _2 X8 f, F' _; [9 _With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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. z1 a7 ?8 M9 T2 ^- ^扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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8 l0 I  I, `, ?& K* s' D14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

3 U9 |2 M5 g9 y9 a' }- kA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

3 e; }8 }, l/ l3 |8 j16. “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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Talk 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.

9 r$ T1 b6 f, P/ A- x借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。
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# b0 x: F+ \2 dI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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.

5 J, D5 M3 Z' M! d; w3 E% t胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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% R' _7 r4 C- M. I9 E% H19. 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.

- v6 Y5 c9 K# X; CThe 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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% G' O3 _2 [0 O' E( C20. 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。

9 i0 j8 m0 O: F2 e- r# AHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
+ G# A! z1 h1 rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗