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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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. A4 _; ^, [  d/ U/ ?0 h/ ?动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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. ~: I+ \4 y! t4 T& h7 b动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

9 E5 g2 q2 g0 a0 ^+ \) h+ r5 p& L6 j动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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  l" e* f0 U' j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

5 f, H0 }& ~  _# C5 Z% N( ?; ~2. 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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8 v* I& V/ y( q$ I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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

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.

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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' a/ v& ?, _& e/ g5 f2 Y' s' `7 LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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- y4 [" q+ h1 y# a, SIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

4 H% I, f: Y' j  d" Y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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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4 v3 N& D( j+ b* p, o7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

6 m' l! u& Q% l) [! nThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

8 h- P" O4 x! h) O: p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.
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7 R5 z" S% f4 E/ B3 L. O7 c- Z名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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8 \0 X: I1 K" O$ c. ]# Sdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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; ?4 Y9 i* y1 d, Slive up to one’s reputation
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& U! {& d2 \9 c# J  ~3 e& U9. 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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" K; t* R: b4 c6 H9 S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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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。

. K/ T2 h1 l) P3 |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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0 v9 _- J! f( @, y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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

* O) u9 P. D" ~7 f0 O- ]; T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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/ j: P. y  l) e- l3 Y# v6 C13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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) n5 ]0 @3 p( xWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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+ {& u8 }6 R4 F2 [% i, n* I- j扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

# z) m4 O% b' J! Q8 B$ G: X江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

: m6 k; t  u4 }$ a" _) q* _15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。
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+ s: t( i% P3 Q, H5 PTalk 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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4 J' z0 ?% ^* `& F# N8 b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.

2 u' q6 u/ A  U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

1 @# T% r! s0 ]9 F4 n: d17. 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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3 k7 l+ [. y+ O" l' Q! C1 D胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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# R5 }) J  j. i7 Z9 F19. 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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9 [# d! m- P' T: Y) B8 qThe 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.

+ u% ?* b2 k2 P( J扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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7 F. ]( I6 m5 |9 D4 g8 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。

7 m. k# z6 C. d3 XHe 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

! F$ }2 u& O/ j8 C3 ]' }上周日中午你去大统华了吗