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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

) `8 d' i: t5 d! MShe 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

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
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: N; k( s- X) h% G! `, V+ t他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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- c7 q. V( W" p% p/ J9 ^. z刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

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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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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9 m8 Q2 _' y! f  Y* R' D9 k0 g6 @refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

( J8 _& s( j# l1 OIt 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。

3 J: u! Q1 U8 t1 o1 C3 [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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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+ h5 q0 I- L; K) w" C7 K9 ~The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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6 S! X/ G9 Z0 ?- C* {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.

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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& k3 T' j. j9 _He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 E- w: q! r6 N9 ^9 ?$ R  g7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

9 r; m4 I( i8 S# P. A0 OThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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9 D& t1 b+ T/ ~4 v$ I: N8 x7 p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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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) P1 ], I! Q; \名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

# ^; K& j! @: @2 K  Cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

2 k" q5 I/ O! i4 d+ rlive up to one’s reputation
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# {$ m, i+ A7 `) ?. e; x+ a0 h9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

* {: Q% k6 V' U" Q0 D) ]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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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  ~+ [: F* T" B. x8 D6 V3 j4 h10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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. w& c. i1 ~# Z. y" }He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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6 \# h* T& Y+ |- _画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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5 C1 i! A/ ?& Y2 w11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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; s' J4 q2 o, f% Z! D" ^* L; LTom 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.
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' N% S' S6 K( }3 Q2 k/ G- I* _: }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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; V. R% }8 t9 f5 L5 v4 yAll 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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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0 Z9 ~  W  q/ e+ R# B9 V, d9 [  G7 ?( O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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A 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。
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A 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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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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' d( O. S5 p. m+ ]7 X4 e: [; X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.

3 `1 K+ y( C$ y' w/ T5 N7 \+ B: i5 C借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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  K6 h0 S' A# {- L# D/ B煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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/ A" g$ k4 d+ W+ ]4 g' x/ C( _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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, C2 W2 ?4 d! |1 XI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

8 x; v6 b( C6 r2 I: V哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

2 W" c8 Z7 [5 q/ b- d& o' Z18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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/ k" K1 @1 s4 p3 ?) |He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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% I6 k, t& w; G19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

5 n; ]  i5 u( }+ E8 T  iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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; j' S7 }! M% p" aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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" U( J' K: g1 v& ?7 {: i# x! Z7 g$ c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。
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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 z8 F$ z3 p9 ~: P) B) ^8 Wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗