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。

3 k7 ~8 F6 q$ k& s9 v! ZShe 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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+ _' e; o: W* n8 ~0 m" }动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

* T# @) B- Y( W8 [- ]/ F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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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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4 k. G, h; x! J1 ?4 L/ Q0 K8 ]2. 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.

+ \( k/ e0 p  [  i; |; H! ^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

. J! D4 Z- c' W% i2 G3. 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.

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.

2 P4 V, ?& a. |) E: o; x8 k8 `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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8 r/ S/ l) A1 n8 {5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

( `3 X9 s$ V& T3 ^" M6 g- z4 tThe 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.

7 l- u( v( X: O7 N; A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.

- S6 D* d* w3 b& v$ i3 x6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

  }1 M0 r' q: E8 a3 K( DHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

' Z* K4 p1 [  J0 A0 d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

7 c: L4 A" w$ d) Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

/ S1 Y& V. c8 D4 F  t% q" a9 Dlive 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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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.”

0 I* Q! |+ T. O/ m/ Y: n* W天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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* D9 x$ F; y& d1 H/ O10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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5 K0 I5 o) \! H3 |+ z& c" iHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

! V# _1 ]" R$ N: @1 O  D3 _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.
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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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; M3 T3 q  b# |7 w/ X12. 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.

7 K2 Y2 M" w( a! I0 e: E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.

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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) H0 G. s2 f+ k) W1 k9 Q. O扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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) n5 _( l1 ^$ _1 o; r14. 江山易改，本性难移。

1 e- x/ T2 x/ q8 @/ n" K5 a! |- EA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A 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。

# Q1 x- i+ I; uTalk 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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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.

* ~( F; r( k2 o! X1 _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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4 X6 M. V1 K/ G: ^, M7 p8 J4 y" d17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

+ P  @1 b% Y5 ^9 m1 F9 C8 x6 AI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

' x2 _" u& M% `* a! f8 _He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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7 p0 K+ N4 x& u% c3 h: O0 I" O' D胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

, V; I$ d6 W$ z- D1 @3 F: d# 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

6 o& ~$ h( Y) \0 e! O3 o+ T扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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5 A2 {7 q/ S+ B6 Q+ F% }/ R$ U20. 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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% q1 t0 Q9 c3 Y3 dHe 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