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.
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$ i( Z% I, J9 hShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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$ c+ ^, c8 l/ v动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

$ P; X; l1 A: D: F) Z# D, j7 U刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

) z1 _+ x; W6 _/ W2. 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

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.

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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1 d: Y7 ?+ p+ i% q' v. ~石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) s  y, z: }1 b' e( `) h5. 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.

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.
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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。

  ^8 |- [7 y$ ZHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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% q+ e. t& j- F1 J7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

; v7 h5 c6 r2 g4 CThis 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.

) }9 r6 e# X# X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

1 N/ E0 C5 p5 u9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

. Q; J0 E" X( D; \! W. A  _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.”

! r. |8 o; ~% j) `# F2 z! W天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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7 P; s& X$ t! i0 M/ M- t) J+ ZHe 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.
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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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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0 S: @- ^- R6 ~/ O. [$ G2 j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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+ W5 n+ ^- K8 B13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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. t/ g$ }3 f- D; ^With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

4 g8 v$ \" |1 k! V1 I/ u% X+ ]+ X6 X扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: `2 O1 Z* K, B( B0 e1 v14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

2 k% r' G7 @: f- B- B8 n, d; v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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+ o8 {+ b+ i& V0 z- R* F; S1 c15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

* d8 o( @  ?. m; x16. “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.

. `5 E3 T) p7 N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.

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

4 }, {/ ]) c9 Z6 Z' w9 c18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

( R) \4 b5 h( k) u" x; T6 m1 JHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

2 l+ f. @7 s  v- x% C- L19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

& f* m& i2 n& ^' c# O8 ?扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 h& \# F5 X- I20. 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。

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

7 R, H/ j9 ], ~3 [0 q7 G# J上周日中午你去大统华了吗