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.

. z5 O# R0 [0 F2 _1 @. [# d) hShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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3 N' T+ G/ a! j$ Y3 u* G; b% i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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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/ D6 C( C+ X! s4 V) T  q7 f# z7 k2. 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.

2 O; {2 _# j; M- v4 b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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

  B3 T; |; I3 o! @* {3 S6 GIt 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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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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。
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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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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+ E, P1 k8 @' H2 q0 b; |/ EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

4 K- e  Y9 }% X1 p6 [7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- l2 K" e& U' x4 r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.

9 H" R$ c& V" a3 \  h1 E2 V: c; E$ X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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4 M1 V: [' z5 ]5 hdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

7 k# X: U4 C9 }. [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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" g$ c$ ~' G1 `$ ZMy 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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- x% c2 i$ f- a9 ?( I天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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  [& F$ I2 ^! S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 e4 d3 n0 O2 }/ }  z1 k. MHe 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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% j( L1 {0 P$ ?- d  G- ?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.
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) A4 j: a' O' t( d  q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

* r  L: t0 ]& h% k! m3 m8 T0 l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.

6 N+ p( y5 T' D* @& X" E& I: F13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 F7 Z0 B: r& U1 a: eWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

: m' H! ~& @: {扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

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。
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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。

5 r- m, S/ p! q0 }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.
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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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7 k: e% @' F0 d8 g! M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。

/ M$ ?. }9 G0 r% bI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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0 x4 v9 `  H6 {He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

; d- A0 _  q; Y+ P* Y胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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4 \6 a" @& i, I# T# W! T3 k* ]19. 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.

/ w9 N3 J/ ^0 b( A. j$ x* l1 X2 JThe 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

$ J! {  i: y7 v6 v9 q8 ]: X2 G' z5 C20. 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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1 _; z5 C7 V& [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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗