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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- I1 a8 c! O" ^5 _+ h3 MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

+ j& f+ A6 o# n0 C" i动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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% G- W" K  b" r3 _% j+ \% `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

" f6 E( l0 A5 I他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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: m. ]4 v9 {6 I5 B, F刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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3 p% E8 [& q" L8 o2. 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.

1 P9 {) x) i9 A5 f1 R" X不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

2 ^" U# u' }1 I; T; P% srefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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, Y  ?' l$ A2 V  |( L$ _+ [  DIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

- D( C. E; s# V& P& x$ c( t4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

9 b+ w+ r- E6 A! E* j& XHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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9 E+ c' ?+ n; o( N2 |/ R! QThe 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.
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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.

6 n0 P# t; A, j" x  x( N6. 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.

0 d0 D) a# m" d) R7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. g' \5 G6 g$ VThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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4 q( Y7 J; A( T4 \( O+ J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。

/ _1 G7 M" Y  lIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

# g0 o* q% L( j: _live up to one’s reputation
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  H, U# i5 b5 g2 O6 \* I9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

) U& P, S3 m! a8 H# sMy 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.”

% C. c/ x" U8 W8 g% E0 }" q天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 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.
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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。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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9 C$ g6 S8 \* t: c' d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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

9 ?  M( b; q2 E  x14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

9 T/ A8 R% a3 d( q8 o; x16. “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.

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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+ g3 {& A( a* J7 B. x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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

: ^( J9 J7 I: H1 Z- p% A$ o6 Z6 |! mI 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

& ~2 D) C) v3 ?$ p4 J/ g! J9 W3 o$ y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& ]4 o+ S. F% W" g" pHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

& M6 F" R# b8 C! j$ L& X9 H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。
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5 J1 S. T5 A, `+ iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 z+ ~3 I$ n' p: }# mThe 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

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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- l0 \+ F# E+ \. e2 EHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% [, K, ~5 }, \, N5 gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

- g9 t) ]( u& q上周日中午你去大统华了吗