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。

She 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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

' k# k1 Q3 R# _& q! s3 \0 U. X% R: H他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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  c5 X& ]1 X" L. f6 x( l刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 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.

* D' _: z0 |: G( C/ N& P; \0 ]. X6 `不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

8 N4 w/ H6 B* Y7 Z' F6 Nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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$ T" I& C5 _, e8 P2 `( WIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4 _7 k5 C) K/ z9 }4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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6 H, Z- }& V$ ^* b/ K; D9 DHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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  Q, y% h9 k4 Q4 |& F. ~4 q4 P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.
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6 i$ `( K& n& B: F" l: lIf 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.

- I! y8 T* f, 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。

/ b( }8 _  j8 R0 BThis 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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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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; G2 L- p$ w! [; ]: G名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

. C6 E% o" M  k0 N: h  ~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。”

, M7 b: V; n+ h) E, FMy 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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# N$ r5 I+ K( G9 t% X. x天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

6 t4 N4 |- u9 s0 f2 V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。
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6 u6 m2 I1 B+ q% jTom 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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' t! M7 \; p. Y0 S( m  g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。

All good things must come to end.
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+ c) k- P; r  ]( H8 sAll 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.

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.
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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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+ V$ \4 y; o: C3 Q( B; JA 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.
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; e+ \- }4 p+ D0 Q  h15. 吃一堑，长一智。

8 R9 ^" q  V3 {4 D1 ?" @A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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.

0 e- h! q/ P1 @3 i$ Q& n2 ^* l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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, ~! g0 z8 _* p2 u3 {7 O; @0 a! 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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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。

' {. q* W5 p3 E+ u7 {) L( d7 j! y. YI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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# b9 v/ O/ Z* h  t2 ^哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

% Y+ m: V" Y; t2 d18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

2 B. [! W, @6 b胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

2 f; C* |. m3 S( W, c9 q  l: y19. 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.

5 q3 k* g9 O1 F+ g$ ]The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

; i6 }  K# M1 {+ @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。

5 h+ P3 L4 L1 O; h8 GHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; i0 _9 j( g' C* X1 |) ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

& q* E& N0 {1 S; H2 e上周日中午你去大统华了吗