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。

7 f' Y# H. \1 k) G, y1 _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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0 m8 h; R1 J) x. M$ F% R+ ]动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 f+ Y5 M3 @! ^! d动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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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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. v' d# ^/ c2 U% H3 A5 i刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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7 G! R8 _. D9 t# B2 P2. 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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% m1 M/ _8 c, L8 C. brefuse 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.
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/ F) g! A7 q1 K, E8 t4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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: |3 {& l8 n3 [' t9 U& ^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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

$ J, @8 ~4 u# ~- s) j  u& aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The 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.

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.

" f6 D; @0 @- ?! t6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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; s, ~5 i% b/ j  }' C. {He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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8 Y2 n0 a3 F' `! W7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

" A4 x% l+ ~) z0 _# F% r# T" V$ EThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

( `! a6 p- I7 ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

% y0 b5 }4 N( _3 C名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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, _, }4 G) h4 Z/ e( rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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" H* i) |  n* V" llive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

: h$ d7 @' w- RMy 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.”

9 A8 X8 o; ]( [) y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”。
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  I% O, e* I$ V# u; T6 hHe 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。
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: m5 D3 X4 u$ {, Z' b2 i- BTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

3 \0 Y" x3 V) Y# J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。

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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$ R* X; f% Q' X- {/ n0 t2 L# }% w13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

3 ^6 E* B2 t0 V: ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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" x/ T1 Q( |) s- ~' i# V14. 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。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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, J, l) |% U( V2 Z( u16. “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.
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7 ?% N+ x, O( F9 Q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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

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
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

' m- `6 F% t- k' l+ B$ O2 HHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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4 V9 N- r+ h2 o( U1 g/ r3 R胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

6 _" A  ]: s$ l  l0 v' s5 [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.

* O2 e( {2 L" e  U$ EThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 S$ M5 r" s- l: d扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗