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.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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7 U& M- Y# U" X( b& H5 V6 }动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

+ g8 |: ^1 ?% o# k) C4 o5 u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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 l" L- S9 t1 @: ]3 n  lHe 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;

) D! `% [: V' p  L; Jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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.

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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

7 W, v/ B/ m6 r/ I5 N: L* _The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

4 B) s6 r& ~3 O9 J* ?7 X9 s/ v, TThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

2 f/ a; Y: }, `& DIf 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. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) s+ _6 F0 q/ h- N' A7 M7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

# e) m) s( k; J0 F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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+ x$ [$ p0 i9 F9 a, t8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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; u5 G5 ]: z6 W$ k9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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: o3 D( S! O3 U9 T$ J# {$ N' nMy 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.
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/ l5 j7 M  }$ I5 a1 ?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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

5 R2 q! K: O4 Z5 c* D; [" F- p11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

# g! p- R6 R$ R& j. C; j9 wTom 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.

0 v+ W1 B6 a* w5 V& i. v: v12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

& x) g- d) ]1 [6 w  dAll feasts must come to an end.
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7 F" x2 I) z8 [) n- v" M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。

  {4 G8 L- P  f! C  p0 G* G9 A4 xWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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. ]# r7 |$ z/ P( {! b; K$ K* e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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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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( x2 C8 P% k. D% x! ~江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

4 G5 K: C; ^1 o( {( \/ o( y15. 吃一堑，长一智。

+ u4 e* |) _% U7 B6 }  iA 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。

: \6 i7 t! F& vTalk 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.

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。
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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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

( D. _  N, P5 k& [+ d, i6 rHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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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( o0 T" K$ s/ w/ C( M2 \3 {The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

+ k) W4 U0 c; ^" w) fThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# }2 w' j6 @; U' u& n扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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$ l* U  A* p* W" b( P- ^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。

. ?) v8 @9 f- U( yHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
: s/ _4 {/ v. V( L6 c* G/ ~billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗