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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

9 ^6 T8 O$ N: s! |" yShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! e6 b1 p0 }& n( ~- }+ }: S/ s% I' g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。

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。

8 x3 L- A1 T! z, o6 a% h- mIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

& `* l2 B, N3 m! Y9 P4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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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.

' u! j2 E1 \1 P  j5 |If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

, L; x% `  C5 A6 F4 [# [9 T3 B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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( S, j- O8 t; x) q# m6. 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.

7. 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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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( g* o" l& `2 ]  i+ x$ i% b) R, P名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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4 R4 s# m; H" H( m" c" R  o9 zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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5 l4 T2 X7 h+ I% o5 t% Nlive 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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/ u% t" ~" v4 b# j% y' g9 U7 DMy 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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  {" |  x; N8 Z. b7 d+ ~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 z, i. R0 S- `7 i) A. y4 n9 wHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

' @- U: ~: D, R# k! a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。
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5 ^; R8 f* I2 g$ ]  ^; j. I/ L/ _5 pTom 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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5 R, C) }# z7 ~) k3 ^% I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.

. Y% z3 ^+ O, H$ I. r0 _" A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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6 \* }7 G' O- {: z, E1 @8 x, R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。
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$ E8 G2 {# |& ?' @# u* UWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

* A; o6 g  I- P% Q2 p9 K/ O% H14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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" p% N  b; f, Y7 {* FA 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.

* s3 S4 Y* C; l1 v6 N15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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  P0 o7 i( }0 i: }& s( M$ T2 X( r* dA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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% d" l/ [/ @5 C, W( \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。

) `  ~4 Q5 K3 h# `& [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.

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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7 |; ]2 ]5 d' E8 Q0 ]2 X5 V3 m借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

7 @; o$ H: |$ F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.
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! u/ M7 C7 {/ h+ w7 l5 z哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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$ L" w7 i) z6 I& y! A: G9 y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

$ B$ ]- g/ Y- L, N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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9 u* R8 d$ c. F! H+ H$ l& TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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6 x, G! A, m! u* [  _The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

/ R+ b# V' p( y( }( {1 P20. 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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8 U$ @! ?# K" G; ]5 E% {He 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