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。

5 E; X+ N. E# YShe 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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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

% a; [3 e& L# w" `6 }动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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: M8 s) d: q: U" B5 a9 j动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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4 W" H% C$ J% o1 F: |/ g他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

$ d- n% r# H, k" }' c5 G# {' B刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

& J4 @0 a8 N/ x& m( o2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

  }- V6 H8 B; u, V. J3 b6 i8 f2 iHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 u9 x- Q7 a$ Z3 @- c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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  g; _) q9 A, \& E2 x( C/ ]. x1 prefuse 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.

9 \8 `3 a  C9 p7 i5 O3 @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.

8 X* @4 @7 |' g3 j0 a. W7 t0 G$ n石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) ]5 x' F# M( `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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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; Y* p/ x/ N$ ?3 CIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

% l9 P. c9 x* p5 t, n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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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2 V9 B2 T* x* t. c7 I( G/ xThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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* Y: U" ~9 N  X  D4 Q, M. i0 F4 X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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

, `# _0 |2 N6 @6 g名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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: X1 d7 ]) U. }( L) O: G! O8 ]9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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- J. F5 V) I1 g& l& r2 \* {1 ~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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

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’.”
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' a/ x" Q! G" n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。
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# G7 d1 Z7 h4 j6 x+ PTom 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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6 H7 O. q/ M# |9 s5 z& \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

2 o) q% ^; W% m  O$ aAll 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.

9 z* F9 x8 n# l' Q+ P# c13. 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.

4 G9 M* Q$ X5 {( [. f' g) j15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

2 W+ s) ^  F& B, 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。

  X* ?/ I0 }& ?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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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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.

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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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+ F$ _. R9 l* |  d( m: }胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

3 C7 o+ w. F1 I2 g1 ?. k19. 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

- l; M8 W# Z, [; [$ [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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* t3 A/ c8 Q" N$ S. rHe 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

/ ?* L! s' ^& A/ k; n' e上周日中午你去大统华了吗