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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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; Z3 [; `1 M; b6 e  s/ |  T: J7 |动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

# O) L! s4 [  D3 L动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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$ @9 P) r9 r( f动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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

! x1 [& t$ U: T6 V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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! v* Q/ A  U1 J4 ?7 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;

* R8 Q# N5 D& ^- j" krefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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3 p7 e% }1 D8 _/ k; o  q  g% r- }& eIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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+ ?3 ?4 C8 Y% ?; Q, O6 c4. 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.

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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6 w- N" O8 y, O5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

  g: N$ X3 C7 G# L9 jThe 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.

( A& g) {1 U) ^  L1 uIf 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.
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5 e+ `' ~  G7 J+ T! D; u: Z6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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, r  @) r( Q8 \. }! u4 B0 `: r$ K% YHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

# H4 V1 |& `4 e/ _  h7 d$ }# KThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

6 m; B' a" ?( A, g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。

( ^3 I4 V7 y0 X9 E1 U' Z- cIt’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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" c9 T$ k9 L( G4 e9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

# i/ v' A. }8 P/ w8 ]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.”

0 F: h- _4 y+ `天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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$ w. L' H, U9 x5 K9 A10. 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.
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% J  R$ g5 }" c: p$ j11. 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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+ T6 i8 N' X  E- q0 B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.

! p+ p/ b! E, W8 W. N5 w8 w) G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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# e. s) g. v9 D) j5 ?1 ?' F$ PAll 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.

" c4 _# ]/ e) Y, U2 N) R13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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0 o% A. E/ t9 J" ?4 ^2 IWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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7 A7 A* ~; @2 q4 H扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

# m! B/ A) A# `9 \& K14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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- ~! p7 M  p) W  j+ ?5 O9 m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。
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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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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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! z" F8 g- V/ o8 a# i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.

( I. ]& _8 R  {借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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# x; q/ e, |% n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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6 V8 w6 V# |8 ^  U8 r1 @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

: O8 u! A$ U6 y* y18. 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。

5 A( O7 g. b) O' _5 {. B# cThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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. K$ N0 a% I* V1 z( |" ^The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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. }" U- l7 d; r2 l9 C% h+ F20. 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

: `  O- N" ~  r1 |8 N上周日中午你去大统华了吗