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。

8 x: C, e! S. ?' K: b# w0 y% ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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) G# [& V# n! i# x动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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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* Z% i. V, R" Y/ g6 B! W5 B2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

% z& \( o( W5 I9 ^# \* B, e( V8 F. mHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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9 n5 g2 k; `, F# u* P  P. K3. 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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4. 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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  P+ B. d: l# N: q/ P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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

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.
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: W% x6 l* A; t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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: C5 e& ^- {) \5 W4 d. R6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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/ M) O6 h2 O% e8 h  `He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

' M$ J2 \4 q0 MThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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1 R9 o% u3 B: F# d4 P. v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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8. 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.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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* G, l  V2 J' J- h( |1 B% hlive 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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+ G1 H) G5 m: r( c' mMy 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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) n4 F- f- c5 M5 ~+ b6 F天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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2 _7 x2 ?' Q- @% f% l" V7 d2 \, b8 J0 `10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

4 X# _0 Y' C1 s! j: R$ U% [" pHe 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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

- Q7 r. v2 _' G$ a6 aTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

; `" k( T7 N* D$ 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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+ ]" V! I- }/ S& U4 A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

" q  ^4 v6 W8 L6 u8 U7 VAll feasts must come to an end.
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3 o+ X1 Z5 y9 U$ d# P* _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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7 I- M  L$ S9 t. i4 a$ A) A13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

" v+ K& F& w; S/ P/ ]With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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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" u" P& WA leopard can’t change its spots.
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6 }6 m1 Q$ N$ j" w5 L9 i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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6 }. E! ]4 w3 B: `, i6 j3 s15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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3 O! ?- b3 O. j% {$ k+ r! wA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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" ^2 c9 p% L+ O, p/ ZTalk 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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" D1 n8 U& C$ }4 `  @, A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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) r! j' k9 @; X- B) u! }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。
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; ]! H& Q, \/ m/ h; qI 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
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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.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

! H4 Q2 v  c* P5 u19. 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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& q2 R$ ?2 G! L% `( [3 V; N( \扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

: Y5 b4 l- Z4 @4 b' f20. 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!
2 b0 e  Q. V; z" p! M# qbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗