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.

2 I, T1 }. x- a5 G* P: m# c# T! f3 VShe 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

; [) Z2 P# p2 G6 z. k2 j4 e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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( i+ ?6 [. c( \( E) \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

% s# o$ c1 j* w9 f6 \2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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- M, E9 V( n9 R3 }& F& O& h4 \! ^2 tHe 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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! s$ K6 [# x: p8 E. i- v& w( prefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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& M: _' f/ a0 A2 ?It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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; `% W9 Y& n8 z" Y4 O3 ?6 T  |1 K4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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; \  h1 L- ~. ~0 ^$ c% z. C& y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

! _: y; Y" c" ~* b0 k% B$ @5 P  Q5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( D3 A; u2 O+ q1 g) Q6 \! ?" f0 I' U, \The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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, r" @" x9 I5 |The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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* E2 N+ @+ `! AIf 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.
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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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" Z: o; p2 j- m; D8 D7 [( |! }; a9 R1 z6 |This 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。

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

7 D. ~6 B8 H  U4 q: c0 }; v+ T名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”
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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.”

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”。

. J6 [4 s1 L. A" x" y% KHe 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.

* c* R! w5 C- }1 ]9 [" s% K11. 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.

. b* _$ r& Y) N/ [, ^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。

1 a% g1 C6 h- ]: N4 p4 f& O, ]% BAll good things must come to end.

1 _. y' ]2 i6 _3 I- Y/ zAll feasts must come to an end.
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* E; ^3 f# Y4 n9 L) i7 W' t# \6 K9 P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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3 N2 N3 {! l" R( Y0 _) v' t$ \With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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; v, o( z3 ^) Y5 S14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

. m4 F. 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.

* b% z% s/ ]) x% h  W7 m+ B3 ?15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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。

. e- B3 T9 ?- k! B1 _6 tTalk 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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/ z2 o. L% V7 H1 p# j: e( G( Z; b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.

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

% z1 R( Z0 b# w1 p5 D( ^17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 \+ A$ c& ?" N5 H  v3 F9 U0 L4 l# gI 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

% `/ u+ P. e0 W. F6 [' @18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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1 g/ r0 c# M/ S+ nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

2 W5 D9 p8 _; T) l6 T5 FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

# \+ G- e. b" R0 p  _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。
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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!
  N  J7 ^; R* nbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

$ P7 P2 [7 }; \7 S, ]4 s1 A; L上周日中午你去大统华了吗