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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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
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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

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 S' E8 j8 }8 |# v. Q' F9 S( S2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

: J7 [3 \, Y0 pHe 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

7 S" X3 |+ `1 f: J0 O* y3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

* v* U9 H' K! p) j4 v" ]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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6 N- }8 c/ e3 n9 ~& D  ?$ KThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

- }# h( X+ \5 s  b$ zThe 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.
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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.

) t- K: w, s  {8 W0 M6. 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。
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6 S. n. c7 L2 ~4 {: ?+ ZThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

6 g  V6 w9 C" o/ ]% M张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

( F! _% a6 M6 b" H8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

/ G0 `$ y3 m1 T- L$ E) z名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: \" k9 ]+ ]: ?/ h6 ^$ R  Vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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) ~& a4 ~) p* t% U+ P( A  Klive up to one’s reputation
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# ~: f8 j2 G& q) ?- u9 l$ p9. 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.”

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”。

) k( O5 \* M$ l4 Z8 SHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

" h1 r  _& F% z+ ^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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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

) _' Y& e7 u' z  T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.

$ [& {& _. R6 o+ m. D  R( j12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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+ E9 v" O; J! p# k2 xAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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, p, D( a" M/ `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.

( P- m4 g7 D, Z2 i# d0 K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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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: h; F  I( p$ j# Y/ ?3 j, e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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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5 @! \8 _, g+ I) o$ q" p0 `; m16. “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。

! g2 @( \6 G+ t  `" f2 ]: c2 oTalk 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.

' f0 Y$ l9 v& C9 S! k1 ?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。

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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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: {& s6 z- U7 H" pHe 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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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

7 D" D+ G- Z+ X& }) m5 t, yThe 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

- S1 w- E5 R* y, q& O20. 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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" q" }; `. r" a; G  FHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# M+ ~, k9 c. a( i! M/ vbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

! F. \, W9 [, S3 z2 ?+ o! N上周日中午你去大统华了吗