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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% X0 E; u. b  L9 w& h0 b$ QShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

  Y, U" ]; |  d2 ~" _: e5 ^# MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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' p/ [; H8 e6 c0 v% j动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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.

, q8 ~9 R3 l, }1 _9 @3 q; s刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

9 Y6 W2 N% T! O; Z2. 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.

/ i' \5 N( ], C: z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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; Q9 U, E1 O) M9 k4 k+ r- R( krefuse 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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1 ?6 t" J/ P9 G4 fIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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& e/ ~2 T. m5 m9 F9 _2 h9 y4. 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.
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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。
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3 t/ J3 S# y2 P" @4 S9 ^; zThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 X$ o+ r) ]6 l5 sThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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: N! U* H( o0 z+ d- @% MIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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; C$ J/ U. @5 ]/ ?' B- W# u0 k% i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.
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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.

0 U0 k& @; V% A/ k7 y1 G7 I张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

' E) Q. a% s3 D8. 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;

7 T9 B. @+ D: Y# p" wdeserve 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。”

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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' a( w& v0 Y# ?( B' `天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

5 g/ o4 M2 W, g# V! U4 u10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

- `" H4 D7 ]1 p+ XHe 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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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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* l+ [# o0 Q0 J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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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.
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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。
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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.
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) R' i$ P5 I" U" E! V/ X14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

& J& g- g* t5 y( w6 I& Z; _江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

. ]7 H* e: [6 W# Z  u& c  P5 Y15. 吃一堑，长一智。

& c& m' j& X2 K, y8 x  s9 B9 RA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

- Y& R, M" i4 a6 y2 S% z16. “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。

* f# K+ t7 q$ aTalk 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.
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8 m: \+ N' F: s, {+ \% j( [' y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

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.

# Z7 K8 j) D+ ~  M  |哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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, P- j% |( b; a+ E, B18. 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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' S% E' ?* U1 a  H/ lThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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2 x2 b$ s& K+ n! ^; rThe 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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# ]; H# A+ G1 h, H( }9 T* V20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

' B( O6 e% _1 M+ k' X上周日中午你去大统华了吗