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.

" w: D* O% @. mShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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- F2 P3 B: q0 R! R* i) O! r* X$ r动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

7 x' y8 v+ {: N动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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& X& C  X5 N* H1 o7 t4 s. _% ]& j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.

! {8 e" B1 }( J( f2 S/ w9 F9 h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。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 p& n$ M: ^& I4 R不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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8 ~0 {9 Y) J' ~% z3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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5 T- ?- j6 `8 J, `& t# BIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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7 s1 _/ N+ X& d5 U  EHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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- w, J; i6 V4 Z; l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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( {9 W$ o9 |8 v3 s* KThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

' j3 |- \2 C! z7 Q- VIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.

8 S$ f: X3 H( h6 {+ o) O/ v6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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3 N: X& \! I3 C% L6 R- I5 l4 HHe 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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! _( \7 h7 b4 J: i: oThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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2 s1 D2 Z' q9 g$ ^* u张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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+ {1 l2 \+ a9 c3 x- G4 GIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 v2 x1 ]) P$ I) U% Mlive 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。”

3 V* P0 s% |: [0 m) {5 S( n  F7 |. |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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, e" m; W2 a8 n$ c6 C$ Y8 ]2 X* |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”。

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.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

6 P! I& a) Z8 Q. a* d# H( e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。
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+ S' g2 |( D( O- |* `All good things must come to end.
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' v# ]. V4 M$ M$ [4 V3 c8 x6 bAll 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.
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2 {+ t# b8 r- I扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

* H5 d& O! i* W9 _, c. t, l; j14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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: m+ a1 v6 V  m% ~江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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3 g/ q0 g& W9 P8 A8 i7 x+ EA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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. ^5 q% g( s+ P" y  O$ k, ?5 J16. “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.
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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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0 m/ `7 [0 q2 a借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

3 p& {7 _& C, F& L  R煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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, P5 F7 b& @3 l! n, Y% k17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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

, i+ L% f+ ]; H19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

% L: I6 u; [0 h5 i1 t* MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# p1 j/ Q" ?7 VThe 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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6 X+ i1 p- M' ?! F20. 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) \/ Z8 O2 J6 }( Lbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗