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。

: {5 b3 s5 a1 I- f1 l  ~+ `: yShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

" g+ ]0 A5 H4 J& JShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

& ^  m  U5 P2 }& U3 R动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

/ M- m- E. C4 S" v- @+ \动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

  t' `$ E7 [' c1 Y% j  a8 Q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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; t8 b& r5 t# @) W0 z2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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  p, Q8 d6 d4 l, `9 AHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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, {! X2 U$ l# \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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/ s5 w- `0 q3 `6 J7 F4 Q9 t: ?* H3. 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。

6 g. l1 w8 Y! q1 N8 _7 V- i0 pHe 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.
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  P, q$ b3 T! F& V6 C; g5. 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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# H- D2 X) B! n1 jThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 }4 x. Z9 E( O5 J% O0 x6 zIf 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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

+ ]9 C, }3 a- E9 r9 AHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

- v0 |4 P6 a: GThis 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. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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6 P% b5 c. i) q# C7 m/ ~It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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9 R0 i% J: H" B* Pdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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" Q5 l+ f) R4 d; g# @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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7 B, p" a$ N' p, H! M* GMy 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.
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9 b; w) i4 i% l: v8 S- [& H) a  X10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

+ X: O0 W0 y! M  OHe 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。
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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.

8 |! N7 }' O# ]1 M! `( r3 Z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。

- C8 s% z) }; L9 k; w) rAll good things must come to end.

5 X" G& q$ m' sAll 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.
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( w7 S9 f; o' J# i13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 N" O2 _: ~/ x2 i2 @5 tWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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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。

0 B, J7 \* v  x6 n5 C' T. VA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 b5 z! q# d0 c2 `0 |, F, C: kA 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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9 p, V( `" a) h0 e# l: DTalk 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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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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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5 h) l- ?( O) P! P. q, U+ G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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9 E3 j7 g" v. U5 cHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

6 L% H/ \$ |2 c& }胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, x- t# u+ r' {$ R! D5 n9 O19. 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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$ Q$ \/ U, U7 W1 u7 u- IThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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!
& B+ C( u% h7 Q/ N9 t5 kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) l5 F; A0 M9 J* K; `上周日中午你去大统华了吗