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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 ^8 d4 r0 i3 _动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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* F1 c. ], @+ J" P: u动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

: N( `0 t2 D$ \- _/ M他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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$ P" [% m$ ^4 i& U* X/ i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.

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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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6 O: Y# _3 a' _  X* ?' V7 B" `It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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8 S3 x1 D, X* }6 k4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

! n5 J" h9 y- n* {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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% b( m/ n+ \7 D5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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6 B7 T: _3 u' s, MThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

! T* ?% O. R7 a, e; P- z# o' pThe 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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2 |8 {, T; b4 t4 l" `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.

$ x9 u* c( O5 J! J0 ?) D  {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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, T# F/ ?& ]( A# E6 lHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

4 j* W0 _1 y" O, L% W4 Y6 ]张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

, l, b3 W! Q7 q& F8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

4 F$ B+ l6 `- v9. 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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4 M* c* y6 U- I" }' d天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

7 s3 t" d* @% I. w! i/ z3 D# E10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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, @/ b3 o7 j+ ^) r: d9 R7 k11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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9 Q! N- o2 A; c+ PAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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2 T: o, {4 K2 [9 Q9 Q. }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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7 w8 T0 S( {( ^. c  w! Z4 n13. 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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

( G( n7 K! q% F6 C, _0 @14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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- w) Y. ~7 D, T; x- GA leopard can’t change its spots.

9 ?8 N* k9 I2 l) @) V1 P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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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/ v. G9 Q3 L3 O0 J$ _# HA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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# {- T% y$ {# C  W) {: R( c16. “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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$ o# _% j# t) n/ O# N0 P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.
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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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

3 `; g5 G# p+ C7 Z& f2 p, v2 ~18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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' M- p, n; y( N4 n6 g* t) yHe 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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  P3 W, f+ G7 b9 {! V19. 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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/ N  i9 @! o* M1 g& U) l* E( {. oThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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% E3 P" `9 g4 E4 F. h* u( PThe 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# W/ Y9 @( j9 l6 J5 W) S/ kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗