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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) y2 |: [- }4 p- h1 qShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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* }2 E2 A% M% M' e# IShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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0 Y( e! k+ C* K动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

) t: |0 Y  T' `( j, T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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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

/ c. D: m# P9 A0 D! ~' C, w$ [2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 p8 V1 Q' B+ i! L, U; eHe 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;

5 |3 s% J* N: Hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. W4 ?/ D* y4 [' Z4 {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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' O9 e  i1 D( d9 E% K9 ~He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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- Z* H: c( `* W8 I/ a& v; y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 N! U' l7 [5 H3 T* f! i* v/ h1 @* K5 q5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The 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.

' y  g4 T6 ^: ~4 T5 pIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

9 ?4 J/ H, u4 Y4 z7 i) n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. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

* Z% G- R. I% ^& A1 }9 }7. 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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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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, i) g$ O$ }- O, Z0 W+ a* ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

* m' h0 w( M, d* P9 t& ~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.”

* F$ O; {5 U5 ?0 R, K' B3 _3 s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”。

, E- q. ?4 L/ M% gHe 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.

7 _8 I- |9 F$ B9 g8 X11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

/ b! O6 K. z1 v' o6 f1 K' ^Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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。
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All good things must come to end.

4 s* V. \% L  OAll feasts must come to an end.

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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

9 r! h! M! k/ X$ ~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。

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。

A 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。

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.

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。

) _1 N1 g. |. L5 WI 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

* t3 }$ O: v0 u18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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, ?9 O" g4 d2 S6 D/ \0 YHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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' V: u; e( d: D% M& {6 C! r胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The 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

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。

, }: `% E4 h3 x! Y  ?He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 J3 l7 K8 J" l) e9 Y, G6 ~" pbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗