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。

; \& E/ v  q4 R3 TShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

8 v8 l. R+ R! ]6 |& h9 c) BShe 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

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

& ?6 \1 z2 l% ]. o) ?1 M. q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

' F' h; c( X. F9 o# E2. 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.
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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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$ x) u3 L  C% L, Z5 [3 ~3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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$ s0 ?" T/ A8 v' _It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

; o; {9 C( F: S, u3 h- WHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

6 }+ m6 Z( {2 ]( y" f2 MThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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; G+ |% `5 J# w; a& ~( y+ ^7 W1 EThe 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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) A* K2 q  H: v6. 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.

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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9 h* ]/ v6 S' V7 n% Q/ X& ?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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

, I. [0 q" m! H& \deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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.

, K, R1 H2 W6 f0 e. \10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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! |" B& T2 R; m* i: mHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

! N" ]+ m9 w/ W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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; p! M! `' w  ?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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, P, b3 u7 o+ ?! V0 X2 @2 \All good things must come to end.
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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。

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

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.

% T3 _' S8 A3 ?+ v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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: X. m0 U8 }/ T! U( z/ |8 S: l借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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8 r% x  t- i5 s* G& F! u' k* `( l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。
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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

6 `: s5 G$ E% c. n0 E  H% S% ]7 U6 \18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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3 Q0 q1 r) ^0 w3 C6 h3 vHe 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

9 V8 {1 Z* \% L0 J3 R19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

$ W+ i& K" P& O! y1 fThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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+ L, U! O5 Z( s2 P扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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6 v" m2 O! ^9 k- V' h  u20. 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!
$ b; S1 ^3 c+ }/ R0 fbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

  }! Q: l2 m2 r7 Z! o; W) l0 _上周日中午你去大统华了吗