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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

/ P. z" M$ ^9 N  L动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

# r' S3 i5 j  i" O' M( \# m动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

  o) L" x* X9 }" x  l7 `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

& B8 B3 ~2 E  K6 F; V# ~他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

1 W. g1 O, H7 N8 g( e) U0 }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。

+ [6 x0 S: ?! N9 g" r  [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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2 {" p% l$ o/ W% u. Arefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 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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. y8 Z1 B% X0 e4 l5 p% [3 f$ L4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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& U2 @6 T% J; N( lHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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* l$ {( D# J4 y3 @2 i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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

4 E6 F+ o5 h) J+ XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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8 _$ {, }2 Q9 iIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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: j  |/ r# P8 F% k# C1 U* E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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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/ k6 B* I# @& L- @1 K! f! y" U, tHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) Q5 `9 b$ W3 d& f6 y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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- r; {  L* ?4 O2 O; vThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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" M1 M" Z( c8 C4 D; 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.

0 L- @# r  ~5 E8 x4 [! A8. 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;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

; K- M4 Q+ K6 G- a+ T: D0 llive 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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! j3 L% l) p: {+ z( ^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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。
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" D7 T3 _7 c2 Q0 }4 kTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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。

  J1 O( ]- p) U# ~: ?2 |2 r2 t4 [All good things must come to end.
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) f3 A( `* \- ^, {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。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

" V6 F4 I1 J1 S7 n: K扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

2 y/ W3 u  G1 ?" d. o3 g14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

  R5 i  m1 X+ J6 I1 J; f  u! v0 S江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

! e+ O5 e* ^5 ?- c15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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, ], V# S! z( r( p1 Y. ^2 WA 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。

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.

6 U/ o2 @1 t. Y3 o/ n% W. c' P% U借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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5 h, V& |1 q7 B. o5 x" z煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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' i% L4 l6 U& D/ |; L9 _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 n. g$ S+ M% E" ?) B& p, RI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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。

" L! w- n  m6 I& I5 U" t) UHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

0 c1 M: L* ?9 i, }胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

; F# _2 q2 W3 i+ p# w/ ^1 f" ~The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

  X2 o- o8 m) p* e! m扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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& n8 q2 X. A$ `7 ?5 S2 r6 {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。

( A% {" Y" x9 S1 g# E' y3 vHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 \7 X6 K4 q& Ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗