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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  @6 _6 c9 N3 K" I! _4 G0 S+ v2 LShe 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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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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! |% H) c) h7 d- O; h他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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8 x% n; X1 G# M( a2 h7 P; u* ]2 }& m刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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$ q5 {9 F( E- s2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

* h% o  j+ T0 s& n* yHe 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;

' K0 }' `4 Y5 ]3 Z0 crefuse to give up until all hope is gone

5 u  G5 V8 i; w" J' B3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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+ W1 y. ?! F, G6 B; B, c4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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) t! U: P: Q: U8 k( W% ]- c3 C4 AHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

" x# A5 _/ t# g. p6 N" W( _% CThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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8 V& K1 g0 r. _- ]6 G/ l' ]The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 Z5 Y6 `7 L3 L$ L) w7 B9 bIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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5 `) x0 c* R9 s& L- f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。
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- r; A) I! b; T( L) WHe 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。

, {+ m6 F& g! g) b/ g1 wThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

9 J) i& o% M5 k  j# N* E" h- I3 `; b8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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$ l' w0 l" E  P3 udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 G1 ?: H) Q) B% |  A: J; C* vlive 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。”

# j+ h( q6 D- K- y# T1 |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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

3 T8 R$ n! U& f$ a4 d  V; CHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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4 _1 A9 Z- r1 J- K4 n画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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" e$ x+ v0 t5 _# A- j) D, q2 W) `: ?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.

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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0 R) Y9 i" ~! C3 f* e/ BAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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.

% k. G/ s+ T$ q* i. r4 x4 p13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

* M! }: e% M! i) k. TWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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# u; e4 l& {( J扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

! A, V3 L, z7 I14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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。
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4 [! f+ H" i& j0 ?, STalk 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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+ K8 s5 K1 n8 }' M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.

! y1 c" b# o* a& U" G0 z: ^8 C煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

% J& i+ L  h) d& @$ p. p  _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

* \5 o  Z/ b6 @8 Q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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% c1 g1 U8 T6 b8 aHe 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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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The 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.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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0 H) ^8 g& ?- E$ k3 ZHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
2 n' \' k9 {% A5 P4 F! D/ N) T. B  Lbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗