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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- {2 J. R8 c$ I8 ?( ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

2 \9 G! z$ U& ]- |# M7 ^$ bShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

5 C8 h4 s- X, R  ^7 S$ c+ O! c0 K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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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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0 s+ H/ f1 y: IHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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  E3 x" a4 w% R* d3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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& x% I1 ]3 Y) J# [; t5 v9 }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.

0 \  ]; G* e9 L5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

  f* N* m. }# U! e1 j9 qThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The 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.
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9 E) n: _/ }9 {4 I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. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

' j- l) h0 n& k; WHe 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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; Q; l2 w- _3 A& v' _This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- |3 s2 f* K" A4 u6 j: M& |& m' u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.

" D2 P9 v9 D; K$ l1 o' j2 n1 s名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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) N8 p! @0 P3 a' g, Edeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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- ~3 c& I! e/ R$ B4 s8 n$ \5 ~) ]live 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。”

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.”

) f, N1 a3 b% |1 I+ \, \5 @天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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8 v! e9 r. p* ?0 J10. 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’.”

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。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

5 k- |6 Q# K% c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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5 f/ f8 \$ ]5 b' R# v4 P7 X9 h1 m6 Z/ j. {12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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* G, h/ q/ u7 w* @. PAll good things must come to end.
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- \) k6 O1 ]/ L& t8 H# E2 rAll feasts must come to an end.
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6 Z$ m/ w0 Y2 q, Y% Z2 S9 t2 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。

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

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

, D# S9 f( @; P- b7 g* q' X$ X3 G14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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& @' T" a3 B. p4 D. m8 d$ yA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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) v, P% d' I1 z8 @! Z16. “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。

3 U4 G% q' x$ }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.

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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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
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! I3 Y. Q8 B' N- J17. 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.

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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$ `: i( _' V, W; a, c4 F, S4 uHe 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

) q6 T5 ~# _, T0 R+ }8 c19. 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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% `/ V6 f: }. N# UThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

+ J) C# j  m. c$ [9 l) R( FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

; s' J) {  t. i$ ~# `! d扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

' ?5 B( F6 d% S) N7 s, t2 _( \, _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。

0 ?& {9 V3 i" o! Q8 L  u3 BHe 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