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。

7 g7 F! e% B" r  w# iShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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% G/ Z, m7 P5 x' X, p8 xShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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& S# }3 `( o# ^动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

! ]% O, g* H# |; g+ ?4 g/ D+ C$ k* i动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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" A' ?) \  E: f* h; z动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

2 J$ X* b! [6 |他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2 n8 k$ X6 Z: [( G2. 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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+ d* l* {& P5 p/ Z0 l$ {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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' O: \. ^/ j' U& GIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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" D# r- W3 _7 `; V+ J8 |) ?" q4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

; K7 A) C, w8 P3 v9 h2 }He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

% V" U! Z; F& Q5 R0 u% y* m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.

8 P# w! I- t3 p: l& ^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.

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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. b" M2 c8 v# P+ j) N6. 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.
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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.
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6 ~  I2 C1 M2 e0 C* h6 Q( ~# ?, c; g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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3 b# P# ?2 s) H. M+ k( N* ^8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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6 Z$ q% _& }+ F+ P7 Q名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

- o  \" r: i* D4 M6 z+ ~+ T9. 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.”
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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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) L! p# N) T" v4 w7 O) E6 x8 R10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

9 }: Z4 p$ n' W' ?; u7 l  eHe 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.

11. 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.
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; }- r5 q! k1 y2 w" e; R3 @) y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.
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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.
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% r* c/ U+ \9 @) s" K  x3 C13. 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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

2 J3 E- U3 ~! W: Q  O; k) X15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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2 g9 G2 v$ r! S$ p0 h16. “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.

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.

6 [, b- ]& A6 @6 b% t+ ]借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

# ]) Z$ ]5 D9 g4 V; G煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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% _( t; I& I! J, o; H17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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, `* P) I$ J9 F* X, II felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

+ X: \! \. `) P9 b3 D9 l" F+ j18. 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

1 `' M. T8 Y9 a* E5 V0 s% j19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

" K1 C1 D, P8 w9 IThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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9 P1 P6 o+ c* l7 g" z+ nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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$ O- ^: g& ?/ D8 G& u# n/ U0 m扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

+ l! i  u5 T" I7 F" f; \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。

$ a4 ~! |7 ^$ vHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 ?* m4 j7 s" mbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

" d- ]4 [6 M: X) O( g上周日中午你去大统华了吗