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 t. K% `* L# q3 w* iShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 A, D: V1 H$ L1 c, ]% T动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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' L3 s3 ]& N2 s) C. Z0 f1 L9 S他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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  \: k' n+ K+ ?1 x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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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6 k8 D, J/ [! _$ i, m; T: 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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  w5 A( b" G3 V2 K* }3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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, ~  s1 `2 j- u+ L9 |It 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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。

( U1 h; x7 x+ p4 g. [0 q& kThe 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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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# |2 I: a' Q) D4 o. ?1 v4 J+ @; F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.

4 Y! i& s! c; ]; G6. 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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- j+ {& T0 L7 X* ~4 X) aThis 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.

  W" K( F  M, o! ^8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

4 O0 b' h' L1 s2 {' ^& M. yIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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2 a; t- o% p3 ]* k" {  o3 ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

8 p4 X; D3 Y  ^1 R6 b5 l0 dlive up to one’s reputation

9. 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.”

/ A$ H/ O  d8 X# W天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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3 E+ T, V) W3 V! Y; d3 V# W10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 V7 b, d0 c* A* bHe 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.

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.
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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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& q! K) l( N3 w  e6 WAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

6 I* C9 G7 e$ J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。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

/ G( |: q! x( _7 A0 ^1 Z扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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# k% g% y  u  kA leopard can’t change its spots.
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. H) e& w- J. j5 ^江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

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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( F- Y# L3 n' y6 |9 ~- W- d% \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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3 o: U# e& c" B7 _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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. r; y# P6 Y, g# d/ ~: i/ s" u4 Y$ D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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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。

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

: B: s9 W0 s3 z+ [  Y. U$ m: X' f18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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" w% [! K. k8 J& r% I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

2 V+ E: T( k. M, x1 l: S' B1 ^19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

9 `9 g  h' F5 M; l3 K0 OThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# I- }4 k6 z+ f, [0 J) j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。
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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!
! J. V+ V5 a. W: ~. V" wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗