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 ]* K/ ^/ ~* C. {- Y/ eShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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6 I9 O) Y1 y$ \6 c% C5 u5 ?2 `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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. O/ I3 O0 W# a动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 o8 i# y% x& K4 S9 [* i& `, f动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 X/ e, o3 j- I1 o. ^4 D动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

4 Q; o  i& H+ ]/ m: h  Q他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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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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! e; \3 p- X  X, t  \$ ]+ k; C, tHe 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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.
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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.

, R( g/ H) y7 x" t4 w3 i6 R5. 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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' W7 w5 C8 b' f; l3 n0 iIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

# b. u. k! v6 A# r) G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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& @* Z, L: P% {  p% I5 P6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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! G3 r4 _  s8 y& UHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

+ }/ C. t" t: \1 l7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

8 m6 O( I3 W+ \张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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8 h9 y  T/ C6 r& ]" H5 ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

: R: ?. x3 f8 A$ @! j, Q5 ?live up to one’s reputation
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9. 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.”
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, D# H: l/ j* c- |; v  j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’.”
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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。
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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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' h. G; u! |- t: C& ^( Q$ h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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

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.

. b9 u  O/ u" N3 X0 ]; S13. 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.

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。

* Y, W& U/ K8 L4 l1 `5 U1 i2 n$ H4 A4 ^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。

A 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。
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8 l' {1 q3 n+ N+ Z+ E. ?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.

$ E, `7 u' m( _4 Q: x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.
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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。

$ K& Z  r5 ^8 n5 H6 G2 J1 ]8 oI 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
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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( V8 z6 ^- ]$ PHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

$ |. r. K/ G8 b+ }: Y, |/ m0 ?. J4 c2 TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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1 U) |' N2 N4 _; g/ k) N* S1 F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。

7 c6 S7 r% M) p! M; VHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
! C' y" E  `3 r! k' q7 jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗