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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( S/ T: m" ~7 b! O5 i5 S9 c: bShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

7 S# v/ ^* {, kShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

$ @" t! E) f& R, q9 j7 V  s动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 o  x) ]% a" {  z2 k! f动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

5 |6 ^$ C; T* K. \% C; K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. 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

% P# M- c, G& c" D  {, g8 W$ L/ dIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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' D# `" u( f, W8 O1 o* V4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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! x, S# U  `; ]& yHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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+ d) a0 l# }, `石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

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.
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The 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.

/ L$ U8 G( l& R0 W. N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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1 Q2 T) h# [3 B6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7 l; S, X8 [' q2 C0 k' c5 V7. 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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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- W! g1 L8 U; o" i+ u8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

( {# r, ]% U# T4 cIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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+ ?' Y; B8 y3 I6 c+ Y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

  o% @4 }! v- G: o2 A/ }0 QMy 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

, M- O# e' |) j1 e/ ~; THe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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5 N9 ~, P$ I9 v) U画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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. E9 I3 J, ^( @# \& u11. 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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All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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7 {8 d6 D" B" S4 M& R; }/ l  s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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

" a, _$ |. m/ V6 N' B扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

+ F7 Q3 |+ p& x. |6 c) \14. 江山易改，本性难移。

) g( L' ^& y/ Q/ S$ vA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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。
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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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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.

2 n, b  b# G3 f+ J) E: d2 j. v# m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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

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
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; a) d5 G8 }% e" M, b18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

# k* u* p3 u2 THe 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
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) c! J+ J6 _, I# o9 ^$ J19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The 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.
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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。
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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗