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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3 W  T2 y# N6 yShe 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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" X! J  u8 `+ l- `3 N动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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' T$ K% O' f* ]$ z* V3 i7 T动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

& \. P) H/ V. S. J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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1 K/ ^3 X, ^6 z, P3 Y不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. ^# C- h% l0 u* O) W8 hIt 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.

+ w0 \$ C2 u3 Y! @" B/ u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。
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, I/ b& M" n! |* q" GThe 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.

2 H# e! z) @+ x6 G% qIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 O2 O' Y1 v% |& a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。
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1 C1 ^5 E! q5 q9 lHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

( w$ i2 F. o% P1 Z& d4 x7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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( ~( t0 I4 ?) r7 a) h% zThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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: P/ @# d, O. r' E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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! m& s# S% U! X1 z, T" O0 mIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

+ B2 E: O" N- c4 D/ x名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

' {& C% E" t3 X! `, c# K4 g9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

6 q5 [3 ~6 Z8 iMy 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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6 B* K0 @; Z+ d* ^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’.”

1 \; f/ i/ h4 K: y" V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。
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) ?' e. I& `; Q1 u) W, `$ N% a5 CTom 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.
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8 B' U2 a1 m% g7 x8 o: J* ]' b! M6 E% m12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

! Y7 t/ I$ b) ?! F: {All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

( @, ]0 c) I$ a9 f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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

2 R" S- T! C- Z5 [6 p0 BWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  z% A' {: o( l1 s; C9 F" p" x扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

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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1 Y9 x. O" |% x, j2 a  u4 B15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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; J( p/ Q3 }+ I7 yA 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。

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.

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.

9 O  j+ E, |/ v8 b; J借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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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
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: M$ i4 _( [4 `* p6 R19. 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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  \, `: h& }+ n# ]6 }. b! y/ RThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 z8 R5 x$ Z+ [/ b! ^% ?The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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$ j6 V( [6 ^: y2 R扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

9 n& S5 K1 f8 j8 y5 m- e20. 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。

( m  o+ ]6 F3 }4 \6 n" ~9 uHe 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