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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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. ~* f' c4 B# J, F9 rShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

5 {& c# _9 y% ?6 u动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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1 C; @3 `% d6 W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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4 O% g& _( I+ o" [. G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

. g8 p- d7 k+ q2. 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.
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  Y, h- h0 L" H! H7 `3 |* u" A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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

6 y8 I1 Q$ I6 b9 V8 _7 G% N6 Z% h: {6 \It 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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) O" V- R& v) \% T$ s5 h! p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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( t3 x0 Q3 c7 }2 p5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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  u9 u3 R# a- \* u* [2 r1 z: P; EThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

( R8 ]! }1 K5 E+ a- o# KIf 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.

) h3 p6 r! r6 e; U4 `6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

4 J+ [  z- e$ g% r& E0 k4 E4 _He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. q" ]! c/ l( ^' M- y2 m1 |3 EThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

2 f- L3 a4 o7 v0 P2 n8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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! n( _& g& q* W4 S; }It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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7 ]2 m3 n" ]& c; ^; v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
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3 V/ W! B# u/ ]% _9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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: x- @; `3 H7 {& Y0 q3 B/ H天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

& F  o: {3 a) o" ~( T10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

( I0 L% f4 u5 z; BHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

% H" }  p7 Q# A1 m+ f5 Q- @( i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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) R, x" k: P# l. Y2 mTom 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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! J- M# i0 v5 i; N6 ?6 q% L2 o6 x" g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.

% t& u$ W4 l) \: z) ^! ^6 Q12. 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.

8 m  x3 y+ h# ~* b5 h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.

% I" C. ~0 \5 V$ ]' {& v, T; C13. 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.

* O4 o6 W- k: [" G14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

$ F: w; j# x9 _% e3 F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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1 m& n8 j, y% {  Z8 l& O: ~& o. A15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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' a) V* N% J6 d+ C# M, Z" PA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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& K/ q* S, @, O. Y: u  D16. “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。

( U! C- N) A* A8 a: OTalk 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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5 x6 a+ Q% h9 l7 K% X8 {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.

" C! Q8 R+ P3 J/ A5 r3 W  |0 R& V借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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% u9 a0 T- m# @7 M7 g. l* M& Z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。
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% J' s& `) P- J1 c3 H. t; mI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

8 {2 w' a- B7 A18. 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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. _& w( Q  V+ C$ h& v) h胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 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.

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

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

- f* w) l. p; {  |20. 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!
9 y2 d2 D; k& d, pbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗