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。

$ g8 S0 Y7 f- `$ T6 f  [She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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) Y( J5 N! e8 l" fShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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4 V9 s$ r" h. {' G6 W3 d动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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1 O0 Z6 J( Y1 G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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8 d1 J7 v8 s5 U/ ]; v1 n9 p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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" ^, r+ U- B0 w: s) j2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

' o% [/ j8 E) @He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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5 s8 U$ H! P9 B' A; j3 l2 Z' k# Z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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6 d, W! I5 G% ]0 ?7 }; Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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! Y/ r  \9 f. G( Y# Z) x3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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9 [7 S0 r: `3 q, m! {8 \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。
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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.

) {0 ^) b  z" i5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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4 q- M% m) q7 B9 y" Y9 ^! [The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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0 c4 I6 x$ x2 x2 PThe 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.

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.

6 b; q, _) _1 o6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

8 `( w( {2 g. Q/ ^% a# |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。

0 C) h* H3 u' \9 QThis 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.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

- i4 t$ A- a$ W3 CIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

& o$ X% O2 Y9 f/ [名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

2 d; p: ?, V' nlive up to one’s reputation
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9. 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

# A. J+ N* f6 t! Q9 W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。
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) Q: y1 l$ B0 s' q) r2 n& K& I" E4 DTom 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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! i) \6 V, u( h. T3 c  U2 H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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4 s  z3 Z3 @' G6 x0 S" a12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  ~/ P& U- z3 ~4 r' [All good things must come to end.
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/ r1 \8 n) L! b0 ?0 NAll feasts must come to an end.

; Z% s$ y2 }3 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.

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.
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. y, D1 {* {( X0 e扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: L) Z. N* B- i  h" v14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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( z  P/ s! [. e- h6 s. X9 A( tA leopard can’t change its spots.

3 x: P# J5 x; G- W, F$ S5 ?: |江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

- D  H! u# }6 v8 I. j3 P# x15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

* O; I. s" z, [  F8 z9 c* |; o16. “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.

. g4 y% }% V7 U) s8 y: D5 T1 I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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) b( B7 S- R7 }! @1 L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

3 b. S5 _3 b# h0 U17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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+ C1 E6 h8 w) M7 b哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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) m+ z. Z, e6 {! d) NHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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! t- t$ d8 n/ G% j5 i6 Z19. 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.

- X: p( i- o( [2 f2 ~; A1 k5 V0 J3 FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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!
% V) A& D( N) Q, F/ m- D9 Abillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗