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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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2 u9 F- u! U. f+ j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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+ |* r9 I3 w$ f* i0 f0 u5 q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

3 f: E6 s7 X( y* q3 z2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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* j# q- B* ]" ZHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

% ^* ~- |! {! e6 z" H2 N- M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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6 H+ h: e% ~, D/ u* d0 rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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" H3 x! I" g' |" W# e! L( R3. 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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  s- W' u" z  q" C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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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$ K) i- u1 H( x1 {: RThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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/ v4 ^( p* r' J) R$ [  UIf 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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1 p# l/ O) ^' X  ^/ M6. 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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  u- H+ `/ j% @5 B+ }( T2 ^张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

& l' G/ L1 {# P8 g. ^  b0 |8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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2 R7 c8 @. ~; H. f# K# s% J- dIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

' w2 i  J& x% ~, flive up to one’s reputation
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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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

) X+ }. Q1 Z, j" r7 L" P! W7 b10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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( B# }7 `7 T& j' I+ D7 o/ P5 zHe 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。

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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& I0 `6 k! c% K; K: G6 {/ c4 h2 ?& RAll good things must come to end.

3 ]# Q  m3 s' U# ~/ pAll feasts must come to an end.

  m5 o' E9 @1 C( U% a$ G3 N' @7 t- s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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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& x: S2 H5 C+ w/ Q$ }. v扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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; G8 S  f3 Q: g14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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, M0 W  _) ^: }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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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。
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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.

+ L' ?. r4 f1 k9 h$ q. z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.

8 Y2 u: v! E2 w7 w: G! L借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。
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6 `# o; J- y3 R8 pI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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" k2 t, C* u. o) B哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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; e7 G/ ]& F% D0 C% n; oHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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

! |' t; ^4 L  Q( C- g  }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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

, m& x( ]' u2 _$ D, ~3 n扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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; i( V) I  }2 g. M& x, u20. 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

, G* b. A0 [4 @  d# l& x上周日中午你去大统华了吗