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。

; l& A7 D/ ^& u6 C9 Y' J; E$ AShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

( F! E9 s! s7 D4 A3 j& J动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 F& O. E( H9 V6 i4 Q1 e7 C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.

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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- M" F4 [. [# F: L1 k- bHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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% V/ Z( z/ W. Z* D5 \  ?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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& E. N. Z2 N7 r+ P, v! W) rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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. \1 _- @2 m7 x0 VIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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! O. j( b: U/ j& k9 H* _4. 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.

" Z* d8 h6 E9 s( h  F* 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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3 Q4 I8 C$ H" G9 z# l' x5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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; M- a" V2 E) ?The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

! A6 r; ^7 w# A% XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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6 G5 E2 y# X0 |3 d8 IIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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.

$ Z$ m* Z: K8 e6 k8 F9 t5 C# E  n0 p6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

% e5 e' N$ _' e8 I8 v/ HHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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8 v+ A* H2 H( m) q% n7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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# L* e" a9 d9 C% I# T( U6 W1 L张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

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.
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1 N; P& W- |* v  l0 X0 L名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

1 K5 \. C- K" Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 ?7 s- ~; R- j; C1 Qlive up to one’s reputation

/ d/ C6 d  y( u9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

- V- ~) v3 H: @5 `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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2 \* F( n. r4 G1 Q) \10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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% Z3 E2 q( r, U0 g. }: I! JHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

. V& l) R4 f6 @' n# R9 J画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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  Z" q. S9 W, K* M# ?% J3 i! q11. 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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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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' S$ ]8 s' _4 M: nAll good things must come to end.

7 y2 z! _& E3 R( a+ [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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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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- q+ G. w' Y5 V( c6 a14. 江山易改，本性难移。

3 }0 }1 _/ g8 S. qA 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.

8 |9 i( K/ K3 h15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

: a- s. Z' i1 m, G5 o- G3 R" ~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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6 {6 ]* k# [  w, z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.

1 m" L( r$ A3 k& R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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% a8 b( J! a. J" ^' x6 A" y17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

" O) ~4 B7 w% U9 ]I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

8 m/ R* p; G( a/ n" t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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( A! q% T# t$ a/ w/ q4 aHe 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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- b: k3 r) e# k, ?0 H: f- \8 WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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/ |$ _4 D+ v9 ]( _8 R; C& RThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

. N/ e2 @; O& B3 W扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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6 x3 w! E2 j0 R9 F' U% w20. 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。

8 U! C- h3 O+ ?. y/ J& e0 vHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 d# b7 h  z) `! E. Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

% K; \. W0 t$ |" E8 A上周日中午你去大统华了吗