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。

3 @- i! [4 x' h7 \' |1 RShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

- x. Y% m8 @& b: e) D' Z& UShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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- N+ h0 z* m  k: t$ v) ^. |6 _, `# A+ R动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

4 s8 S4 O2 P* Q3 V# q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

, Y4 ~8 `) w3 D# s( {8 d动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

# d& Y6 ?+ z2 ]5 V7 e. N5 ^; A他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

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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* M' N2 z  ^- {0 P7 [( ]9 Trefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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; r+ N$ L9 \8 F+ y8 R+ I3 ]5 _3. 十年树木，百年树人。

' ]+ j5 e4 c7 T2 h& K  CIt 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。
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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。

- \1 [$ D5 l% L, B, F  YThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

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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1 v7 i" u8 {* [# J3 q6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

0 R' n) T. A7 x1 T# T; B; U- tHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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.
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% Q1 }0 p, Q: I, z9 Q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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& f0 p: }9 g1 gdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

: `' D7 f3 R! t" K, r7 `% p4 y+ Dlive up to one’s reputation
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( v4 z; F: h4 e) w+ _" v9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 @+ Y6 F& f  w) P2 SMy 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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" {7 {" U# M$ l# h10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 G2 I9 Y4 l; ]$ s2 ?* \, y7 LHe 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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( N2 a# {) \7 @& t9 @; Y- Y) f11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

# z( J; t, j( `; b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.

( h4 Z9 x5 `. ]/ ~: |  f12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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& R. |- N# Q6 E( w& V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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

( \, K7 i, G" {3 `! A1 p$ u扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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/ M- i6 d2 {! v; P/ m14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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- R0 i- v, D/ [5 s) u* EA leopard can’t change its spots.
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2 A7 t1 T  e$ j  _) S. k% f3 Y5 O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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  [; u7 e7 j. m7 C15. 吃一堑，长一智。

% r" D' Y7 R- G( x+ b# [* dA 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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) v$ z4 T3 D/ o4 E8 lTalk 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.

. Z- y' ?! M0 t7 [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.

( s& W$ h  w* V/ B- K- P) `借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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7 i8 W& g4 y# K) z' x; k% k煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

1 N2 P1 B$ m# ^) d1 F! l17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

# R5 a- g' \7 R6 ~7 j9 @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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& \/ H! E" J8 n  I# kHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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( z2 z: o6 Q0 N8 Z5 I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

8 T7 B  z: T7 c# l19. 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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$ R$ d6 [" _& T* ]The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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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# O% E, x, {" W$ wHe 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