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。
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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.

; ^5 G1 N( x, c7 i动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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* K' G& m7 C! }, V动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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# F5 R. s6 w: I/ x9 F( i3 t4 }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

4 d) y, q# E: K2 A! V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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3 N7 v2 S/ n2 j, A5 z: Zrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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( ]5 H5 r5 {9 E6 ^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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. ?# N8 q, F3 C- }1 W4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

) C; ]2 ^# p* x1 S3 o# xHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

$ C" ^3 w6 r% N7 i/ O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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

% C( [5 n; V! xThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

7 r! Z: g; l0 M! M0 p' w1 gThe 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.

0 P5 f8 d$ r% ^: n0 O1 U) f7 r1 B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 H9 v: Y' r9 n% a6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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- E# R. f& E" R2 v& ^0 XHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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.

) j# R8 r2 _% m5 z0 K$ |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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6 I8 Z; F! M$ v- o. ]: K名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- i; |3 b$ V/ a1 j8 X# o9 i2 Rdeserve 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。”

# K3 y2 ^$ b/ U% d1 iMy 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.
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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’.”
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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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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) G% U: f5 N6 q4 l. H$ v扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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5 z$ L. `, V9 o# j! t4 z14. 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。

' J, @/ o/ Z* w' Q* rA 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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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.
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& d. h2 q! K9 z0 m5 V3 o& m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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6 {8 e- C( z# w! h- `借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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# ^- ]0 Z& T' ?2 \煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

! B- z: m; l* |0 v# {9 Y17. 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

  `5 J# s# H: |, i9 L5 R" g2 a/ p18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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0 p; G/ G( v* p9 y19. 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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$ {+ ~2 d9 l, s5 b% Z1 OThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

9 n' Y+ ~1 K* a( c1 f6 k/ iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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1 H1 \5 N1 l! |& X+ S$ x( P4 r扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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  H: V; H) n$ @  t20. 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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5 y# b) f! d  ~( V& [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