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 b8 H7 D, l- AShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

$ {" E4 I. _4 I, ]) d* {! `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

8 l8 _* j- e/ F# j3 j! G动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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$ W6 }: I1 F9 ?# N7 ?: d动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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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.
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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。

He 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;

* h+ f- P( Y0 j# a8 ]refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

: d) M& P( ?( C' X: |" dIt 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。

1 \& }! A. H# Q9 |* mHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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8 t% E4 E7 H( p2 y; X/ ^石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

6 ?, ~. u% u+ o2 x8 r  G, A' t5. 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.

4 f3 |+ E/ _8 m" HIf 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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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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7 V) \) ~% {$ YThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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+ A( k. g9 @( |3 s+ d* K* L* u张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

6 q2 i! [& r( b& A! e* ]: p8. 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.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

+ m8 O% c! M* Qdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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* z  r# Q1 @3 I3 D, Qlive up to one’s reputation

' g' V0 v- a# O% }5 A0 m& P9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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% T0 ~% ]7 _1 U天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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0 q7 }9 Z' B+ U10. 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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% e0 V, Q: `: U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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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

$ K% K+ U( L& j+ p; b6 C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.

" H) B0 r' ^& i( N( `All feasts must come to an end.
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8 J) w' Y& E) U) ?! f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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' J1 _$ j( ^5 u0 w4 t% v13. 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.
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' C5 ?1 I$ e5 a/ g扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

: P) J- \% P/ m/ Y& c9 I* B6 M14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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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, a; {0 o! j/ {1 U1 a15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

: B5 F. q4 z% e$ q5 [) \5 I6 ~. {2 }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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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.

" r( V- H) B5 V- Y6 m) x) \# e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。

3 L2 `1 b+ H$ UI 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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3 T+ T& B4 S* W& h18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

- @/ [5 ^+ o) E19. 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.

, n) i+ C9 S+ G; ]' S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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
+ u4 a' c% O  d- v% l% {- M- Dbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗