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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9 O# R, ~" i! Q5 O' E/ PShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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4 X9 _9 u- ]5 k; D  a- R- d/ cShe 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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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6 U) F# V2 I2 C& D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.

: r# i2 K- G  h  q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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. N- l. I9 _7 n+ H5 kHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

8 e2 |8 O# `, o6 _$ R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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3 l; h, T$ Z: s+ X% D4 W: `refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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0 L8 u- U9 _5 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。
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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.

1 Z& u4 a( G2 w$ d" u. C* e% E# u5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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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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If 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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3 }0 V2 c! h5 K. L$ M6 ]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.
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( R2 I& H0 u: @' J% ]3 u; g7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

) F( o" w; p! Y( @6 eThis 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.

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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- F* G5 c/ W9 ideserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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; f8 t" w: p9 |+ v" [- w0 v' B9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

# B3 Z8 ^* u8 C+ a6 I" h9 LMy 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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6 L0 o- d5 N+ y7 d: l/ yHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

, i+ y1 |4 A- A* h! B! X" \! J* g画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

+ K& j2 r' D+ G" H8 d5 P& P+ n9 e11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

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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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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0 F: k" }) J9 O% _8 d! n" B12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

/ W; }; j% T: `8 {. h- @With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

9 s! L+ H$ _! N: Q1 B" S( l扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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+ \: g+ [/ D9 S, V9 X( t" a- Q14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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! J$ l( D/ M; @0 }3 xA leopard can’t change its spots.

# u( ^- D, @' u5 ?, A. Z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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% C: Y! p3 _, D! ?( r( _3 D- |15. 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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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。

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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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* }8 k) b( v. g' [) H煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

2 i- b6 ~, [  B) C. E17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 Z! z1 I* N1 N/ b  U18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

. l; g! y: Z! b) M2 S. T8 G! lHe 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。

0 J+ z- _) O* M, Y2 |5 V3 K/ sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

  s1 ]3 w" t: pThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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& _3 c6 I# d# B- G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。
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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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗