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.

5 r. _% ~" \$ y; E1 C$ ]She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

+ i3 ]+ ^. k6 M+ ?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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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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( B: U' \( g9 o& k, U( g6 K刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2 m6 O5 @3 _6 t* a2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

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;
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! _! u3 r) D( p' A0 Jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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2 r2 _. U( V  [- ]3. 十年树木，百年树人。

& ]7 ~2 T  c0 Q2 wIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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9 X) ?- u3 U( U* j3 H4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

9 u) T" c$ G$ G  PHe 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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

" n. O8 t" o( R; ]8 G: `+ p# yThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

+ b9 G$ q  P" j9 k# r) k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 z5 j* m. U0 ]# ^; |" Q6 @7 @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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% w- S' z& c. m, D' P8 j1 C% ^张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

- q- e# B! p; @% |  r# ^8. 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;

2 j/ n0 r/ N+ d, E* fdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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# K9 s6 V3 G2 V: ^8 @3 Q" UHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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" S9 N7 e5 F# j( C' B! T* r, m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。
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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.
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8 G1 a( a# p+ Y2 V) b! q! q5 n* F$ a1 M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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' f3 [) O) f* ]+ Q2 f8 M12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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7 k- h. G( i" A( m& EAll feasts must come to an end.

. K: x4 Q7 k( K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.

5 M& [$ `& S4 I13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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4 \3 n% _, O4 g' HWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  p$ Z1 L) d+ i: Q3 ~& o扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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( D% B) J# m8 U) [6 K14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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4 I+ b: `) H  j; x6 L7 C1 ^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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9 Y* J% d2 ]! i6 R5 f# I15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

  \) ^# }) s0 VTalk 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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- K7 C, b- o6 s  Y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.
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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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  ~% r* }* ^5 j" |17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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4 S7 d) X% L- r$ c' S) OI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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+ b1 e& w- E! G0 j; H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。
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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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19. 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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- m# c! W3 h. F, L5 Y, j5 D' f9 UThe 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.

- A- V1 l8 ~! n  B- _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!
) o& }9 V7 ]- Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) y/ y2 i$ T, ?) V* P8 v上周日中午你去大统华了吗