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.

/ S) J* D/ U- Z* OShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

. A$ V6 j3 J( y) M: [$ M动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

% l: k! X( [# j0 r$ ^0 B4 l; v  c动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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! s0 U( j$ c5 D7 ^6 o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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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- T3 o' x/ M0 b8 I* @2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 `4 J  y/ m6 i1 \+ e# l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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; ~) t+ C7 q5 y  C, K: p- I) h+ q. [refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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! j0 i9 c3 a8 R8 l$ ]) ]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.

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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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.
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7 W9 ?* o  g3 Z+ Z4 r2 A5 X0 a) ^The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

; @) E! e2 m: [3 v  QIf 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.

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.
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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.
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7 z$ r7 U% `3 g, ~" e5 R0 j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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5 F4 J  ~9 v3 f% J4 Y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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  P, q8 Y9 Q- _. cIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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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

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.”
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6 `  ], N/ [# r. Z( L. E4 e6 Q天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

" B  d, |8 _! Z9 i+ r: S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

( A5 m# g! o& x# I8 L0 }He 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。

. V" e, o0 M7 M/ ZTom 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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9 H& O' G1 L+ F" D( P6 hAll good things must come to end.
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5 P8 C8 b" B1 ~All feasts must come to an end.

& W; S' ~0 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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! h/ f7 M. f# l  G: b) Y/ d1 ^/ k7 p9 s13. 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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7 Y6 z( `0 c$ u6 K: V" l: ^$ z1 U扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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1 j; s4 k9 n! t0 \/ [2 c% ^14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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$ W7 b! X* `7 z! {A leopard can’t change its spots.
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4 u5 ~! j) f! f1 e' s3 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 R4 O0 F' x3 C15. 吃一堑，长一智。

1 ?. r- f; P6 M/ T4 [; tA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  `9 j& `$ _  U4 }* K16. “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。

$ ~* p  N9 Q9 @6 z2 qTalk 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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( N3 r) R0 ?$ N6 y( ?: i7 ~8 Y* M& M& A$ R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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5 F7 t3 c- _* Y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

( W; s- r% @  U$ ], a& v17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

5 j1 D+ @% C! g% M9 I. u4 ?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。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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  x0 L6 t" f. ]. X% v/ s19. 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.
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6 \% M. W* ]' V' b5 y* q0 ~, sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# }$ N; u% x$ \4 x扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 n/ b* P* K$ t& z20. 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!
4 @6 u9 L5 W, K; L- S- Tbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 f0 g. A/ ]( \% T$ H上周日中午你去大统华了吗