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.

- D' j5 N9 U0 EShe 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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/ d+ u1 {4 z! C8 f8 R动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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4 s$ ^4 {8 ]! o4 ?' n/ }4 b刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

6 n' g: g: S1 \+ T0 x0 L- E, B2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) \! [: j. e7 d: m. J: SHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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8 l9 F. D) ~+ l9 L! I) j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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. R. q1 s: p: U  J" W3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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: x; D  K+ C9 ^$ [; }& Q4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

& {8 I' p& c; c7 FHe 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。
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; `# @' _" Y8 n4 o5 F1 CThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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8 B; [4 U& v/ b3 W$ o5 SThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

: G0 g& M8 @; E+ y  ^! l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.

9 Z* G: k, x3 M3 l6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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0 O) ?% H1 U6 P, w  \- IThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

* g' _; j6 ~$ F' L张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

: p. U- R" K& c8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

; [& ^2 J+ R& W' F. Q- F- `2 G" s8 |It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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2 U, ?' j  N2 A+ U/ Q0 k名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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+ c% o/ s% L8 fdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 o5 m. B/ y  Qlive up to one’s reputation

$ c* o1 }) \7 x- G' W9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 z4 M2 e7 l( R' V0 TMy 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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0 r+ ]; v; @) A! h- _9 R天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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3 E, }, }( V% M, q5 y10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

( U2 S7 y0 n$ z0 i$ s$ I6 O5 bHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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8 c' k% M( d# u2 r* p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。

  n  A% e% M4 J7 @. b% `8 W6 @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.

) W- @! k% Y$ z9 O2 _3 Z' w12. 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.

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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

* L& C, d9 R* X6 z$ G! }8 s) x, U. g扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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7 q: u# _. w6 }14. 江山易改，本性难移。

& G! [% e. G( k% GA 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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, ~  M3 w6 C/ l& ~6 w' HA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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( v  n7 j6 D& P  @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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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.

3 E  i: Y3 }7 v  Z* T7 v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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

( p* c) m: a: q, d4 d  {9 r17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

- m& x) G0 Q. cI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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4 @# n' f$ d% u8 _# }, m" G哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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5 @; Y$ o9 p9 q# H7 u8 s$ m5 v18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

3 y+ i6 M* ]: E) W  }5 kHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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7 I+ m, A/ r4 A5 L; v; l2 Z1 R胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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' F# k' h3 Z8 E0 Y" D& ^$ K19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

5 U& R) }6 x- C: C. v9 s" e, G# `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.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

8 G! c1 f0 X7 r' j20. 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。

# @% {9 D! X. \6 b  EHe 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