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.

: u8 i5 u' r* q' DShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

' b2 Z* l# m: c3 e' L9 i1 E2 i" h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

' S9 ~2 Q. j& \9 C/ @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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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8 e1 _4 h8 J( C7 {He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

! X5 e$ E3 s+ |, r" U- M. ?( ]8 v- a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

. }4 }" t+ s( ]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.

) D3 u9 ~0 H5 \5 q9 G( x+ h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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

$ d& }. L' f, b: nThe 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.
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& D: M  c' H# v3 E! d) g. O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。

This 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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# a# U" `3 r0 Q3 \% k3 _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

1 ]% @0 E) i, N" ~8 ~5 hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

: M9 H& r: I/ k- L* X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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* t" c4 y( [1 p) ^1 E) i$ Dlive up to one’s reputation

( L0 T* s4 s1 L2 K0 F$ R1 z9. 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.”

$ ~; `# L/ R6 N: _9 o" A天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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5 ^' b( `+ Z6 z+ ?- o+ ?6 O10. 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.
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& H  c: a% _; p) j, _11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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8 l4 L( {& p8 r7 o3 O  [5 aTom 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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9 x; ~% t) m" M( S& E) w4 U1 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.

& t$ w+ `' W9 ~) O" LAll feasts must come to an end.

; a: f, M& G$ E* Q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。

7 k5 r  M; ]2 zWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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  d) C& u) J- D: K/ U* J* N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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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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* E; D% Y8 B. V0 `% h4 T9 s$ [; E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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+ l: G, u! ^6 J15. 吃一堑，长一智。

& F  n6 b3 P  L1 L8 P  ^- FA 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.
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3 H( F5 w1 J. g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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2 o6 G7 i) [% E& Q) R17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

9 b' {5 C; j2 e+ C, F0 dI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

, q- F( X. R, l' n* K  T; a哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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& k: `1 v  I3 t9 _& c, M18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

+ X% n2 N2 {5 g3 z+ THe 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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+ R# |9 W2 p) v- ?+ L  x5 r19. 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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" p- T- o1 g) \! K+ A& h  y  nThe 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

1 {2 |, A' M" d* N! l: F. ?+ y20. 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