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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+ x( h+ C. R' w" j. R* l- n" OShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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# [* E7 w/ G! }动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

8 G! K  X& I; ?- l; L% x8 |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

9 T! p  ~4 L1 n; K% }+ P& ]2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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$ V( A# i2 C9 F, F+ N! P/ z( }+ Q9 ^He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. U) o  f- P5 M$ ?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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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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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1 F5 H: o( T9 p% ]7 f8 A6 b/ \" ~7 Y5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

1 j! Y8 w( }& K1 D7 T3 u  e2 C! nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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* h/ A9 N5 x8 i3 a' R  [6 c# n0 _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.

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.
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, ~6 s3 S; B2 Y$ h; K7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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) j1 K' ]# [  R8 v( JThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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7 j. o0 n* b) C' C7 m: `# f- g名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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/ J8 \1 B. S  V( B4 ylive up to one’s reputation
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% [6 F" A( P; E* I+ h9 B9. 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.”

& a+ d( U1 A, I) a2 ^5 ~/ @9 _天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

0 d- m! H& r8 q10. 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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# h3 L% b1 n5 P6 X5 {) @+ Q" @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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- k- f/ F% ~  _* z) c/ q. L! NTom 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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3 |: k- B# P* R6 m0 \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.

# d4 J, [. K6 I% Z% f1 w' m8 ~$ R3 S0 ~( D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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4 f4 i/ E8 F7 Y& }" {0 KAll feasts must come to an end.

' y- U5 }& h# @1 f& y- C% H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.

/ J- B: k. o: m! T5 j' g) T13. 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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/ ?" I+ I* F! @( TA leopard can’t change its spots.
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; w1 u9 v$ R  g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。

% e/ v) a8 m( a8 j  y) f+ {A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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7 ^" _( K( r$ g9 ?/ y. 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。
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/ f$ {4 D) x) n( {) q7 ?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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! D" R/ I& n( |5 I  J* V4 g  U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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0 U# J* M- p' b) s( v( y2 D9 _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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) T$ S; L2 }9 f, S8 Z3 D6 A/ v" y17. 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.
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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。

He 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.

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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" q4 w1 e% N2 l& r% S# ~7 v20. 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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# y* `" l" ?; C( U0 d' _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

1 G, B( m: r; p4 s& V, h8 `7 O上周日中午你去大统华了吗