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.

4 v5 @- }4 B' z. JShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

- [* L% I5 O% x/ {6 y, f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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3 A1 L) d- L8 ?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
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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
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6 y6 `" f) Q' J2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

% T0 L/ W  d7 X/ JHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 m5 O5 d) k6 a8 B/ d, c- m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。
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( L. x. T* h- G" D) r1 j% C- xIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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, H( Q, G, U- v4. 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.

4 p2 ^% Z0 I% ]0 {* F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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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( g7 a1 B' {7 w/ X+ i4 EThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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+ m) x* h* g- F' l! N0 ]If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

# w6 \: B5 K8 x) ?2 G5 a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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; e) n9 t1 {. _6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

) v! J% a* y7 A8 nHe 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。
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6 \! G0 V$ N8 s9 T7 V( E1 WThis 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.

3 B. i" l; x8 k( _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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1 [" B& k$ j+ }6 S2 yIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

' f9 _) D/ P' L# f' ?: B( T- B- i$ k名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

5 ]% ~7 M3 ~3 Ydeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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- w: R: G- k! B+ v: C  {8 e+ tlive 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.”

: Z% I7 {6 }$ [) O5 X' q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”。

. b$ x# S0 k! w. V1 MHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

" t1 U  m' n! z) s11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

( C6 l7 Y5 |- A( G/ qTom 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.
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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.

) l' V9 J7 ]$ d) m2 f+ N: @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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' m( i. P' N8 |% a7 h" Z0 x. E13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

5 u; b: m8 M5 a. A9 zWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

( @- j/ F! k3 M: W$ D. T% e: y6 _, f扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

( |- W! n; v5 \( T14. 江山易改，本性难移。

- e" v) ~) r9 A# t1 [% ]A leopard can’t change its spots.

+ w9 q0 Y' h4 |; }; z  R4 X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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- g. {2 I5 ^1 A( R3 P" L! H15. 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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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.

" A  Y% o) R2 x. q6 I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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" ?! \2 l% h: |( ~, V" {9 o$ X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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9 g0 A: i: ^- M18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

  x" ]) B% h# G4 O, z! B19. 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.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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1 r/ w, m& A1 l5 T% X7 g扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

! ?( ?8 I0 o  l20. 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!
0 a: ~8 L) o7 a: B2 Gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 c: P9 ^. F& z9 o  k6 w上周日中午你去大统华了吗