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。

2 t* E' w- r! G* ZShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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5 f+ s. u* y+ ~4 P3 }动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 c8 o- M4 u- i0 ]动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

  K, [, n+ r0 d! ]# a. |3 @刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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+ V9 S' R- h5 Y5 `# y$ R/ F7 |3 jHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 F* X. S' f  A  g4 e( I不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

6 D# l8 J, Q$ n6 k# prefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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- p! Z0 }2 {+ |) v$ y3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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5 N- a; `- }5 m$ W; C: {2 cIt 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。

+ @5 W: L8 ~) F" D  M# M" }He 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.

, j2 `0 h, Z" [3 s4 D" X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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2 F3 p, y8 C( o# |  ]The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

5 z# y% l8 k, H3 n! q- W4 XThe 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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' v! r! W  C; i# W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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

! U! q7 _( A" L& R& U; vHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

% b! R' D* g9 D( \6 Y4 E7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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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: S' W) R# T- Q( [5 R3 ~1 a8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

9 d. K8 S7 Z! O5 {2 Y: X, \4 bIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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( n$ ?! x: f7 W7 v  @deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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# \# }: X8 T& s. i# r! }! [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”。

; E/ O  u5 u6 g3 _4 AHe 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.
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. ?$ F) V! J' l" l1 x11. 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 K: z' |4 k6 A, |4 M, b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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All good things must come to end.

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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

4 ?$ u) D$ \" B- H扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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3 H1 v- E) q- _' ^( v1 \14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

6 _: {' P9 V* g3 [# z0 e0 ?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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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  D  e4 C( T$ U% x7 A# q6 G% J' Y  q4 XA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

3 T  h& }, B  A; _0 |. C  H% S16. “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。

, [8 K' M/ ~/ l: o4 _, ^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.

8 n4 B% M' T" n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.

% b3 Y' k6 a6 Z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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

, Z) |  A, g2 o+ k0 q) ^$ J8 S哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

) z* X# K+ N; q9 b0 h3 Y1 ~2 i/ s18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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# e4 ], }, Z0 F! ]9 T1 p5 MHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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9 H; d+ B) `" K! o" p8 U" |' p4 F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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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! I' N# T3 R  XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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( h) E- C9 L: j8 k扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 O6 O: }% J+ c8 |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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" [) Q0 R9 n' G; vHe 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

9 V0 |8 t2 H! A" z$ x, J上周日中午你去大统华了吗