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.

4 r4 H4 q/ j9 ?9 i8 [% MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

9 W) Q7 q6 `  I# }- f2 l0 Y7 A动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 i$ M1 t3 N! k  f; `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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

! `7 T# r2 _( ?' KHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

' {" l, X4 [) U: E不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

% ^  W6 p8 H' S+ d+ \3 H- E. [refuse to give up until all hope is gone

. H3 x8 t- }5 A* z' Y# B' n3. 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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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

* v4 Z9 v+ {7 iHe 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。

The 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.

If 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.
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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。

+ b: r: }# w5 j: T6 M3 G9 b* BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

) w3 Y+ i5 Z. x: v% ^( CThis 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.

9 `% _3 C) G" R# h/ f, r8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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, n% o6 p1 E0 F. i8 C) n# l% \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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( J9 f5 k& ?& \) h$ q4 a/ odeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ B" N) v' R. o# P/ I6 Mlive 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.”

. E9 v& C1 i' @4 L% j天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

$ x) O' G0 H7 i/ p4 d& n7 ]10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

# S$ `" m- q; H+ u+ b) Z* r" LHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

/ d8 ~) Y7 k* v, ?6 q7 j画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

' {/ h% h4 g1 S/ s0 @5 u11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

- Z8 c" \( W8 {4 QTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

% P1 e, r: M( U" v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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All good things must come to end.
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8 Q) ~9 @+ o  eAll 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.
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: {) C/ H" ?$ d7 n, @& r, u13. 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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, k' v; @* k' }( F- ?- B3 T7 ~扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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, V8 W5 c5 l4 K# Y6 K+ eA leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

5 j0 I$ x7 |1 }- Q4 B2 g% ?15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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( k0 K% B7 C5 r) qA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

# R/ [9 P7 b1 N' k16. “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。

$ _* P" t9 o% A! X4 P8 y- \$ \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.

1 ^$ M' f1 \2 Q( q+ K9 B+ `借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

, j( _; H3 W( @, H* j" c煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

7 t- N; A# P0 _+ u1 W0 C17. 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
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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

$ D, S2 `( N! U# K19. 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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# {3 t( a+ j8 lThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

) T& z. N/ t- R/ p7 i5 P) O- Z; ?% M. zThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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* X( o" C! q/ j' |扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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/ e: M9 K( K( o" g, U20. 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。

5 o0 N6 f! u5 H; C. YHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) M: D* N+ f/ V8 E8 [billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

3 @0 f7 b6 Z: ^$ b上周日中午你去大统华了吗