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。

- `7 {& t. Y  y0 T; mShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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% o/ a+ ?8 _, ^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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 Q  m" I+ N8 m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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2 _2 P+ y' M. P3 o7 l5 {他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

0 H3 p1 Y1 O- w* L刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

+ \( V( A9 D& t- S2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

$ i# t1 D& ~9 n" Mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, B) J) v3 e8 L9 k* v, oIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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2 [0 I5 ~3 q! f2 r" Z4 ?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.
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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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. s5 ~  B) W8 w5 v. j5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

8 f" b  s$ N) gThe 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.
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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.
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6. 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.
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4 r8 n6 u& J; u% V1 S+ ?; d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

3 H. D1 L' \' r( p9 |张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

% \2 V2 `, t7 y, G8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

0 b+ ~% j9 l# J8 hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

0 k, ~( L6 h  [7 u% y3 J) \名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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: k0 {$ H: r) z, Glive up to one’s reputation
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5 n; a% l# d% V6 J9 N9. 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.”

& t# y7 ~/ X7 Q" \! L* Y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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' H/ `% w6 Q" \% x; Q10. 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’.”

# ?' j. w3 D1 P+ r1 b) W; l* L* l) K5 {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。

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

4 e1 }. d4 y( f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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2 W6 {* a! h% ~& Q0 F12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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8 X: _8 Z$ }+ ?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.

' X( G: |. q# U扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

1 }7 R5 m9 ^8 {/ w14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

: K; T$ l" `- n4 |! pA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

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.
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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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8 \0 y( g9 b7 [" L. H17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

9 i9 F; \2 C; Y1 m  yI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

( [$ F/ r( K% A0 {% J哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

5 n4 S. g2 m$ l$ w, y' e18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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
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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。

3 D* [4 |+ u7 y8 C1 Q! c! Y+ i$ m, D0 mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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+ m0 |5 J$ u' ?) U* U0 c' JThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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% x5 g  I% d" i. y  F" c) t1 I0 x扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗