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.
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$ v& m; S# g" z: y6 u4 g+ `$ [! [动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

) g* u3 _1 q# l/ U- V. L: B动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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- ]+ f) F4 x6 V  f+ \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.

" c3 l5 [" O3 Q# @刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

7 o! }5 Z& x- Q* D; J8 R9 R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

8 }, P, E4 b; B; KHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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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.

) W1 l' o" ?+ Y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

  _- ~( L' ~8 q+ C5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

# T+ f, H2 ~( r+ EThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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9 x6 m; Z- L3 mThe 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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+ c9 F( @  e% s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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

9 s4 ^# Z6 d7 r1 l/ o6 x5 k8 RHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

4 B2 N4 D& ?  m& [5 K& Y. b7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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$ ?8 F9 H) @$ m' ^$ q3 LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

& z* T' U% O/ D- U2 q  ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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。”
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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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3 ~( u# F) U% ?. C; V3 ~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”。

1 d2 t! `/ \3 c2 j$ \! p+ F* aHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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1 ^; s2 ?4 U& ]. x1 z) P画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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5 X$ c8 w7 D  f/ [- h11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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6 K2 }/ l  i9 s. z& Y5 j& MTom 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.

6 _; _; P( H% C4 }12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

* A" d7 @/ W- i9 K9 O3 X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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( q! A. n, a/ W$ x$ b- ?: u13. 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.

2 y+ C& P& k, [1 p, ?7 b扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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7 ]* g% c( ?( e; @. t14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

: z6 R5 x4 J: f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。

. w7 D4 V3 T9 g. [6 e. h" |. ]A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

4 i5 {+ C! K) K( n  }5 UTalk 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.

0 ^* i" g/ l, J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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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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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.

- \5 t- F! Y/ t% I1 [5 s/ v# U7 O' |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。

# v# B6 C' J- F6 n# c" S' 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。
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% i( Q3 B# U9 o8 yThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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8 c" v+ k. }) }- U1 kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

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

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