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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& P, n9 k* ^$ ]1 I5 X  i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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

6 U' Y- P0 _9 c/ A刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

) I# j% p" ^" s: @9 Y' A! C8 m2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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( d  ?9 R7 s  N' w' XHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

9 Q# {! }% z/ x  T7 b" t! ]* O不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

3 P, L0 t0 Y" h" U& hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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" |$ H# Y' r( D- {  I3. 十年树木，百年树人。

" k; e' Z# u$ ^! X( ?2 _; ]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.

" Q( w3 I! r! h/ q$ c' {) D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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9 P7 `& p+ {  F& a0 a5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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4 d( `9 j' d8 m6 hThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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7 v, t: E* b) M7 J/ `The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 u% U6 a% U' }/ v8 I! GIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

# a0 L2 W5 D+ I: |: s7 X* t  k) S4 L7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 \) z( w6 \) }7 |' o/ P2 bThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

+ X. ^8 q; t  X" @9 V; U9 Y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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" g' C! e; p; i/ [  A8. 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;

: i& k+ q! ?. g& `deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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6 {( n: |) z$ F- Z9 ]live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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5 W! Y% n: p4 i8 s天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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- d! f& p) i3 E& o10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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$ Y; y& L% d( q+ u2 r6 }6 c7 v画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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4 o* F( l2 g" @' o; c0 A( @. Q11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

6 U2 r8 w2 s$ m! aTom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All 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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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

6 }0 w" D) h5 E9 h1 J: c- K0 Y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.

# o/ S8 _( I, ?$ W& D- P* J5 g/ W' r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。

/ t* q" r/ t' s0 Q( r! k- ^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。

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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+ L- ]7 c. V: n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.

, v- D- P( G7 B# |! Y$ _借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

/ C8 O, u6 T* C9 \2 T煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

1 G% S2 X$ X" a: M* X/ Y17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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3 j, }, |# _9 z( h9 n8 f) T' WI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

- _/ h/ P1 @+ J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.

$ Y2 N/ C6 F  a) R, d) e0 y5 d8 u% z胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; W9 l) X, ~" Z3 g% x19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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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7 Z, D" o$ D$ xHe 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

$ {# U% Z) ^* X" d* @: U$ L上周日中午你去大统华了吗