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。

She 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.
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+ q8 ^4 A, F+ O7 d" r$ W6 A. r7 W动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 ~$ F2 ]5 x+ {6 {! w动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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# `; R% g7 Y$ H3 Y  C$ X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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; D0 s2 [4 w6 c1 z8 N2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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3 r- W- Y% [5 x' A- F% W. gHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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+ i' S1 p) ?6 S$ o0 j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

6 [+ @9 u- B0 G1 r' h: M+ }3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; q$ t6 a* s# {' O* C6 s7 jIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

; d& t8 N0 c; x+ k3 Q; y) M) C4. 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.
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/ K5 `1 ~. E( X- c石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 J! D5 F4 t5 Y$ ^3 N) m7 X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

- s7 _- B" N; }) I2 e9 t- vThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

0 m) ^/ A3 X+ i+ J! X5 N9 K: l& eThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

" N* r/ A# [1 o3 [' g; ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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.

( S$ N. y8 c7 t1 d6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

6 P  K3 d8 ~" u( |. v& B) XHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) l( q7 c7 h8 a, }/ U# n7. 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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8 ]! f& ]+ K; S& @8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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/ h( h1 y( n9 S6 S/ w+ c; BIt’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;

- H: J8 {7 j. f, Nlive 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。”

9 R, K5 J# m- c: L% i5 g5 r& YMy 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

+ W. z9 p. A, M2 f! lHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

$ c" a+ W" D; ]$ H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.

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.

' |( w6 J+ Q& l12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

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.

- X( e7 ^2 E' U13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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; u9 @4 j8 w, e' {) nWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: H  H1 y$ S9 }. @14. 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.

) l5 [/ B1 F) i' N7 ]15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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* r  z2 J& p% E7 o9 |& [A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

# Z! N! g" \7 P16. “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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2 x: P6 k& _8 \8 qTalk 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.

1 D$ S/ P# W& {) l  K" l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

4 j: }6 y0 f1 W) z17. 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.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

& N, d! O- E- s. X0 `! r5 j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- ~  x& D# n& MHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

' x; q# ^- q  J7 L胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

! o* B  ]/ ^% @+ W, v! ~- H. Y7 O: o19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

8 S8 n# e( L2 t/ k0 h' ~The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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: E- ]% p' P$ K7 s0 ]4 _The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

$ n4 `0 S' G/ f; @; n# {扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

1 r$ a6 H3 K, j( H: [$ I20. 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