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.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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4 ~4 s1 W4 \" w7 j/ R! U动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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& P/ N$ V9 P" s3 H& A动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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7 T3 H/ |( Y- o4 t/ P+ h0 P" W+ q( |/ H他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

* {& |' X9 G  x  K) |3 ^  `. m刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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0 |" L4 l. C/ ~: N0 dHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 H1 g2 u6 Z( a! `) P# j( Q不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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" H$ W- R: i/ {4 Y6 `3 ^/ z( b' A- b$ X3. 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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5 k8 f/ \6 N$ f& Q1 z$ ?/ I! ~. Q$ C4. 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.
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- [- P" K; o( X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

7 ]; j6 O* N( s) xThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

( d. a0 ~- a8 L! r) @6 e6 MIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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: z. `( C) X; O+ \" M  |; _0 y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.

2 ^! O3 E9 T2 C+ ]8 O6 }. L$ c& y* ^6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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- B( C* x  s3 n6 V) H. iHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

; N( }; O5 Q8 t7 P5 L7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

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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3 u* R, V. k/ ?2 I+ ]) L8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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; v$ B& `( O+ c' I名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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) x* }& g$ b% tdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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; i( x$ m  ]6 G, r, v. e1 T9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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2 C0 G; H/ v% G9 gMy 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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+ t& z) h) N* J3 t6 _. j天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

3 x, ^% f3 W4 b$ L" y10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

2 x3 A3 i. T! e7 S& Z5 ~# gHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

7 T' g3 C, W' G* h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。

+ r, q+ n  J" t& ^+ }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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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6 ^' o& [* `/ f# YAll good things must come to end.
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0 z% h, S  Y) {: a0 s- A$ }, cAll feasts must come to an end.
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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.

' ^3 s# p, k; z, ^3 x5 ~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.

  C) A7 q7 N( Z6 X( Z( r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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1 J- b) w" i5 b1 `  `4 pA leopard can’t change its spots.
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7 [7 F4 z" d3 z; r  A1 L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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1 q$ e7 y2 f* Y" ~15. 吃一堑，长一智。

0 ~& Z! ^2 v* t- }A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

. x* e# A; ^1 K16. “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。

4 l# z  }1 p4 sTalk 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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( G/ n2 g$ d4 }: F! D" v! p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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  O) U# b: R! @1 r4 M: i% S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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

# @4 O8 _+ n' P4 O7 T哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

' U8 S9 j( {  L; A18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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+ ]7 x: c0 r- O( B; M* _He 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

4 D; q6 V3 N2 U& R4 n6 T9 R/ l19. 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.
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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
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' C& x! T: Q( ^8 q5 X20. 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
: P; d9 _3 D. r7 r8 k" X& B( @billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗