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.

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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- M0 f! G8 u8 v& L8 s( v) @" w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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0 y2 n& P$ H8 R7 Z  l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
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! F+ ?& z: f3 x+ j/ }, z* ~/ ^2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

$ h( p+ C9 ~; K9 L* V1 v5 o不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

0 [4 ]  o; m& d/ b) I# mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

9 a  B8 y% v6 I0 K+ M! J; x3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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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.

" F& ~8 Y3 X7 T1 T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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- T. [- ^. D: c* q5. 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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, q$ B; @, I- [3 H+ u( KThe 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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- z' m; {, `4 K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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

5 y$ o3 Q! w/ |& p' x! \张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

# v4 R& I$ D/ m8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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2 N" i1 g( h# |6 |It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

4 T9 u- E2 ~% z9 V2 s9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

( r7 y! t. _" |/ ~6 sMy 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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: I- p% a- ^9 @$ R& B! k天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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! P: H6 h+ o' |6 s( i# w1 K' V7 q  p10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

! d1 ~, k9 d3 k, G  yHe 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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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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3 p, ], M8 m9 b& m% |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.
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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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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) S" J1 [3 U4 P. k  v& K4 T  Q5 GWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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6 ]+ `  J8 m4 X3 ~8 `- L' b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。

6 V6 w, @4 T  D; SA leopard can’t change its spots.

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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+ U- x- \8 I' a15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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$ c" \# I# H( o1 pA 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.
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( I- c8 W3 Q# {5 l( b' I借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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. x; k* F1 i. i" [& Y4 _煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

$ t3 ^/ {3 @8 j, X# z, \' ^) P17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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0 z: b: N2 }8 X$ b8 x9 T( dI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

1 R' r( o3 ~- E) U/ q0 ~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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, G2 q( T/ |) f2 S6 L  u! `/ x2 M# FHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

, z2 ^- @9 E7 i胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

2 g1 s) K& ]' w; K5 F- i7 @4 w19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

2 v3 D: P0 n6 e! I! bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 l6 O- u, ~8 C8 I20. 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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6 e1 R3 D8 x& m+ }He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 }+ u5 Z/ I4 V/ E7 ?billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 Y8 e+ ^2 p3 y上周日中午你去大统华了吗