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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, {: e. d6 L4 S: M0 ^1 M0 ]: {& NShe 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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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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, ?0 o. ]  r) j' H$ _/ j# a* i动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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5 h$ R* F5 r/ K9 t# S动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

9 {2 D( U/ d4 ~) O刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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6 K# A; ~/ d6 X8 j' ~2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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. c! X. P7 @4 u4 G1 w  wHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. C5 V; d, D8 K3 A9 v( X& {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

* H; t4 X2 l/ O  J0 n- W, t! _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.

2 i$ f4 w3 r  C* s# e4. 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.

, T7 r2 V) L8 @+ }石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

6 o* E1 ~9 r, PThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 j$ E, C( I( T6 e" c8 KThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

+ C* _9 N2 Z6 W) L  I% O/ rIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

6 U, T) E, t9 t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.

$ i9 @, q5 v7 u/ c" m+ H6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

, P3 l& R, Y  m) D+ ^' F$ JHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

4 ~* l1 `9 L" h2 x+ j+ HThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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5 d& }: J: h. U8. 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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: G% `: A3 w. `/ J名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ _6 X% I  W: X& R- X% ^; Odeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

6 [1 {: ?. Q1 x# D" L8 L6 Y9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

  L3 s0 y- W* U6 H6 q5 DMy 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.”

2 g5 X+ ^. _4 O1 O0 T天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

# l5 t* N9 X7 [( X' {! |  B" ^3 ?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.

0 w) B8 B: X% l& a. d6 z( `11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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5 D3 d0 u( k4 _1 x% t5 L2 E: eTom 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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: B+ ?$ O9 O) q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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7 ~5 p1 F6 ^4 l+ d5 X/ p  D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

+ p, z" {- L: O" G/ `7 H2 }All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

  Y  r* j, Q& i" [- AWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

2 X' \: P' O2 i14. 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.
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3 `+ ~$ N3 `5 g3 Y15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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4 L$ U( a) R1 N. s8 L* \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.

$ F* W  y+ M6 n9 R; 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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7 b" |, }+ k/ W) b借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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1 k$ x) d+ Z) o: q* z/ x煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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+ ]3 n4 k# q5 A3 q0 Q/ A& n* q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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& s7 \# ]; a2 j% ]+ ~I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

$ x1 ?5 K) k0 d) S- V9 ]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。
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$ u; `6 M" @) c8 R7 E. w5 H. l; t" DHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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  [! w# b6 C3 ?: I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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5 I6 t- H  q4 T( u1 ^! `- a19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

. I+ B8 O7 Y  \8 I8 _6 O/ vThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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- n. U, ?1 m; _4 ^/ VThe 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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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。

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

4 X. r7 M' [& @) b5 p5 M8 E! l1 l上周日中午你去大统华了吗