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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; ~9 c6 u1 l  s: _1 B6 g9 Z, e2 mShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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+ u# O2 Q) P5 {She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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7 c4 S. H8 Z9 d. n+ W( a动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 F! e' z' k7 o# {- K% ~2 ?动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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$ N! z3 l4 ^. {; W0 @他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

3 D- E% A+ p% @' d2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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( f: s1 r, \! p3 Z2 m! A! j5 vHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. L# _# A& e5 Y) s不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

* N( j1 L5 c( \& e% u; m( zrefuse 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。

5 h" A3 }9 A  e+ p' RHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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+ Z% {& W7 t) R( e; B) |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。

% q) t- L6 Q3 YThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

$ B7 S8 @6 ]. LThe 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.

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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+ l- H$ y# X8 _6 W; ?6 L6. 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.
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: c: Z8 B. [+ }3 T7 p  L1 ~7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

( M3 g7 i% C' S# `; N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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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- x/ ]: g1 }. O+ \3 v. m! U名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

" h$ u0 \* z; I7 Blive up to one’s reputation

1 v3 f, b8 N! m' J! [9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

2 R5 x$ O8 g+ `5 v  v2 \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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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) T# U. |) _. f7 q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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5 S5 a1 A0 r: y  \, G4 F* dHe 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.

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.

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.

. g+ k& Q9 r" l: r) a  L; y& s12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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& B+ j+ K4 `' Q0 E7 w- z* d$ e3 oAll good things must come to end.

* ?8 Y' i; U. ~6 Q' gAll 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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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.

0 X/ v' [. y$ T) @* l江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

  s7 b- `+ l. a15. 吃一堑，长一智。

' g  v6 t% S/ q9 ^A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  N6 p3 K0 C$ L9 N6 m16. “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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0 _" t# m0 ]3 r+ xTalk 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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6 N5 q0 U  L3 Z* p17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

, K9 R2 ~9 {" }1 t2 V1 ~I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

3 ]6 a  v9 \' t7 V* `& f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。
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3 \0 `7 @5 c: J" v! DHe 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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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

& n$ H) A7 e) L7 ^5 W2 fThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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& e7 V2 g! @* p3 VThe 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
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% a! e( L" P9 M* @3 w+ H20. 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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3 `% `" }6 r9 E. k5 C5 x1 O0 f$ F. r4 jHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
7 D, r) U/ q! n+ T: U* @/ zbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗