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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! m) {! k* Z6 `( _0 oShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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/ P+ b; w; s+ m+ V* ?* k. ]She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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4 y3 T' {1 B% k) K1 z2 i7 }6 @动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

8 I. d) L* E$ [# X8 ?8 n( I1 ?动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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3 z4 e$ n" s. J! Y& {0 F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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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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5 _6 h; u+ d4 W1 \8 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 l  J' e) q0 prefuse 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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2 \- ?/ K/ s$ J7 JIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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% t3 K' e$ O/ G3 {) h: W! ~+ f" n4. 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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) x4 d" [0 k8 T( `5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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" }3 c( p+ b5 M8 t. aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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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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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.

( u" M% k0 E) V3 i4 I) k+ J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

! K2 Q) Z( X6 X) BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

2 z2 Y! E: F( H( l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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! l9 [' o+ l  d$ @0 i9 qIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

; l% i; M; D% L( T9 [名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”

  p$ T0 H/ w3 E& 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.”
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% i4 T6 S* {$ J$ M4 [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”。

He 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.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

! l$ e$ ]& ~' w1 h, c& ]$ BTom 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.

; }# w" [6 {* y12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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8 k" |  ^7 f- r1 r+ ?All good things must come to end.

8 t4 x( _3 ^- C- ~: f: u) _3 }All feasts must come to an end.

' V. I3 Z: a5 q$ m0 T. D1 z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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; P8 ]& i3 Z* s13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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$ |3 M! l& K" \With 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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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

, v& h6 O  D0 T" d) JA 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.
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: G+ M- F3 A/ X3 I6 X7 h15. 吃一堑，长一智。

$ b+ {# D, ~" E( h9 UA 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。

6 J6 X9 `8 Z" Y4 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.

9 K: s! H1 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.
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% U* H0 X0 u/ N- \1 m- i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。
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9 V0 \! o8 p' F. ?4 v( C7 E; rI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

/ v3 J) c9 a) o8 p  p' }6 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。

He 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

8 b0 u8 f6 P( U) q$ L0 A  m( r; j1 [: f19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

1 W7 D! [3 x  p& D6 U1 |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.
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/ \+ t# a9 K' m# Y% f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。

- Z) x0 C2 x2 ^% v) Q/ [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

8 \" q" W7 N8 ]- Q上周日中午你去大统华了吗