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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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

# v! Z2 y  M8 |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
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7 G+ O# W, s5 a" f! i, A3 Z8 a2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 H% ?( a* a& v# G; MHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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; t5 |8 k! ^) U/ g/ o4 R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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2 g; v' s  W# g: `0 ], crefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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. m+ g2 ~) p2 v' g3. 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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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9 p+ d8 j9 z# M) `: r" F3 x石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

+ c; K2 N0 X: X, D5 J! B  v5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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' O! V9 @% J/ N6 b/ ZThe 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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

, ~1 \8 c% e" H& o* n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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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

& j; i( W' x' N, V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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ [4 C% u. ]/ \1 f2 I3 `名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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1 r4 ~# C, m7 G7 V9 g0 W0 K9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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, Y" y! G. o: Q8 _' N" mMy 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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, b* P+ c, \! S6 X+ T7 l10. 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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( U+ t; ^! s) A0 ]1 p0 T) |8 o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.
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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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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% w9 m& @  {) D( aAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

% v* b1 U" f8 K5 q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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) l0 ^4 Z9 Y" X& v$ h! u3 @! H0 v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.

" j( P1 s/ w- X, _6 m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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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6 E4 {8 B+ |  P+ ^, o6 s& W  U9 b16. “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。

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.
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  c7 N7 Z8 @+ @3 I7 J; y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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; _* ~1 ]! k* {/ j; S3 d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。

/ {8 q' L) j* n2 V7 I" 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。

* Z2 ?2 x0 h) g0 u/ R$ Q" Z7 ?" _( HHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

0 e2 ]1 I/ Z6 [' P6 L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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

9 g1 W, h8 y% j( XThe 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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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗