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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She 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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1 ?- P5 e4 Y3 p动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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0 M/ D3 J% w& a% B* D  M9 ?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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1 E5 Y) p5 I& Q% ?3 s$ }He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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+ N) K: Q" ^. z& {$ L2 ^0 ]) J& z+ U不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

* M; Q) z0 c8 q& x- s: b  ?refuse to give up until all hope is gone

1 v4 s2 e1 p% T7 l3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

9 z' S. h1 \0 N! {6 eHe 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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( D! M: l% S) ~  H7 b7 @The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

8 m/ m, a2 E$ G: N( W3 m! @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.
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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。
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' _4 Y( J0 @/ H& o# U  A! w, YHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

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.

5 a5 L1 R- B& e7 G, s% H1 H$ l7 q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

! N" m( S7 n7 [( Q" D名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

. w9 j9 s  v& G8 h- }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。”

1 I$ K+ ]' x( Q* KMy 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.”

% K& N7 Z# X) B3 P! a: C0 O; Q8 z& {天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

0 V: e% V$ ]9 C6 O; N5 r- u10. 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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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

( A4 d- H# s) N7 j: o1 [Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

3 e4 _1 d7 V3 {& d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.

& {# c& Y/ z1 H5 B12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

$ [1 _( c# `# XAll 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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( Z0 ~- L* A" @0 |% w: P+ n% D* W13. 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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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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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- t: ~. Y1 b) m5 \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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* f) C" ^3 s6 v& }" n15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

6 y( X% S) l. n- u; `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 ?$ {( d# x- Z+ K, O, ETalk 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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. X( n! J! A% B3 e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.

, ]. F# i& i' N' ]! s- ?! G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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4 q" m9 M  }. \; ]4 {- cI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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: Q, i2 n; y$ \4 c) ]- z& |9 z0 p哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

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
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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3 Z7 S  U: o- r5 r. b. j$ S! d. nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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/ M/ S$ d- p4 O  r5 {He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% j2 T$ ]$ C+ w5 ?; vbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

+ K- O$ r" Z$ x0 z' @2 Y上周日中午你去大统华了吗