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.
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' |1 ]# h, |  {' X# `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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( R1 t: Y4 _2 ~3 h1 r动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

6 N+ q9 q, V* h9 \: ^& ]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.

& a+ K( h5 s. Q" l4 F3 E$ M- d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。

. v, X! \1 ~9 ~3 R! b1 w; @He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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- b' z2 u( M7 ~$ ~9 T$ }9 i, d; cIt 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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9 w+ k! ^8 M- i5 V0 UHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

4 C. R+ v, k: T/ j! w5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

; T; l+ k4 Q" i) q* v+ VThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

  T- d1 N8 n0 \% aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If 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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: L2 h7 Z) S( Z3 r6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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( a2 m( [9 y# k1 n, x; F& g/ L7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

( }1 ^; y: ?  X. }: t6 R张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

5 ?6 s+ v- G1 a5 p" g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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- x; r' m1 M4 Q; ^" w7 `* z8 _4 VIt’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;

: k2 n# ^  _3 k( Wlive up to one’s reputation

$ ?5 l' N5 J7 I6 g8 B9. 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.”

* D- ~: ]& _6 H/ b天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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' I: ?0 x: O0 D+ r$ h& R10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

  }" [/ I3 _* N: I# U. K; }He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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4 l4 L2 l" O0 P% w5 i画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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3 l( d0 `  ~8 d; F$ b/ h11. 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.
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3 C  s, d6 @3 @, f. [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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' j- T! n( W3 Z# t( kAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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0 ~+ z6 W' }' m4 XWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

0 S. O+ }- ^3 r8 T' W扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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' t, F6 i. C1 O  v! y$ SA leopard can’t change its spots.
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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

2 A" }$ P* t! F( d- q' W; i4 I15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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* n6 j2 k# q$ {' ?: Z16. “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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4 N5 r* C% V: ETalk 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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/ K7 d4 o; }  {. q: B; T% q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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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。
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) q) [( @: B" p* }7 K0 Y$ ^- OI 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

4 l- O! i7 X. l" k! A  T, }, s, @18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

) R/ ?8 x  O" C+ u4 I; _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
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6 ~4 I* d. ~7 i2 j6 T0 i( p$ T- U19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

" }7 R; |% t4 qThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

- w0 R/ M# s6 D# e5 h4 N( N) dThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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% O: r3 b- n% o' q扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

: s" E+ V2 A# W% K! h4 Q20. 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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2 |- ^) Q! Q8 ]4 XHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗