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。

6 y- |: y8 d) I  w/ Y* Z6 xShe 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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  r/ o6 i' N( i5 ~$ \# F7 g动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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$ X8 e6 I9 P: ?5 q3 V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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+ I6 N7 R( Q' {5 V- t( T2 n+ b刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He 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;

/ @8 \, a1 w4 x, Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

$ S) o# F$ x8 P  I9 F# j" F3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 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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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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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.

" s1 U5 V' ]+ |1 wThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

/ v" W9 @4 ^: W6 t) d: o/ UIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

. o$ a+ ^; w1 e2 q/ U6 g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.

1 ^  \2 g* Q7 O6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He 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。
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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。

& c" C# x- z! AIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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7 o( G1 [$ z' @5 ^$ S; z: E+ K  S名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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. d3 R' O2 }4 M6 r  K6 odeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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9 `+ t: O. p' D: T! {: L8 a9. 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.”

7 {5 w& d/ r1 T* D天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

$ C: p- v  z9 C; Y( X10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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+ K3 d% U- X4 |11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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- u2 P' M' l# F! p8 U- D2 C6 eTom 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.

; T+ u/ g3 M) j1 r12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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* D7 F3 C" Q' C" u% I: DAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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9 T9 X+ \9 L0 X4 Q2 F" f5 o$ ]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. q, C: J, E* T1 H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。
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5 {$ X, `' |1 V! K' Z8 yA leopard can’t change its spots.
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' X# X0 o( D0 U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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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% F: ]9 M/ J6 ~3 C16. “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。

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.
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6 c( T$ y! V1 q# t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.

; _# ~& g! ]8 z8 D' c煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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8 M$ s3 c2 n: H$ B' X3 O17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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4 c4 k! c7 T" v$ x% I. EI 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

" F6 l9 P5 A4 k9 j. V8 G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

. }! R  Y- c& [( t; YHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

9 r+ Z- V, v6 y0 D0 r6 ^, K胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

% L$ S1 i! q9 t19. 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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0 k  ?* h8 e! Z4 U( r; mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# E, M9 i1 ~" u  CThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) m# k$ [+ I/ a+ d9 W扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) {0 M$ W4 ~+ J2 Z) F* ~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。

6 w$ I/ ^1 t7 Z% F4 h" tHe 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

- _+ ?5 x9 W# j4 {5 }+ ]上周日中午你去大统华了吗