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.
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5 C: \( m  }3 QShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

; ~& U6 k: m7 w: o2 r4 r' K9 {. P动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

- F, J* F! P- W" r& u/ o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

+ p  M) `) B$ d" s2 n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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 U* i2 \+ i6 }' E' ~' _$ NHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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- U9 i' W0 {# ?& }& g9 s3 T不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

8 t- V8 \/ S/ B* i9 C1 l1 T. U4 O7 K3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

: \8 g1 R0 e. G* P$ v* y2 p. v4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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9 {( N4 f. K% g! ~* w$ Q+ fHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

4 P7 F& M& @) z/ n+ |石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

( X( Z# |; W, ?& G& t6 e5. 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.

2 [- v' F% x. b* [. JThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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! g' g4 n" j5 ?8 b7 X  ~, \( c3 i% UIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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3 h1 s3 y, E" q! [, q% [  u! 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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

0 z% c8 P! P$ `5 E9 h' AHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 s7 n" ^' p3 |2 YThis 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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3 S- Z# y( w& l8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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) V: h3 l" L% @" `& zIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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5 r( y9 x2 W7 M( n名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- P# H% O1 Z2 P) h4 zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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5 H# r" h" q5 tlive up to one’s reputation

' H' Y% b' v9 a( e5 R  A9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

4 C4 Y/ i- I! i; K. _3 a- K& UMy 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”。
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" Z  I- l6 q) T* ]* VHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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( I3 H2 U6 S  j3 d7 l! t9 \9 S: ~11. 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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% a8 ~+ F3 f" S+ [. m3 L& e( g) G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.

4 b7 Q1 t' X  ~4 G; Q12. 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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! d9 C0 R5 o: n: @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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& ]* u$ @# A% }13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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" b+ I; L: g$ c5 j6 R1 BWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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; q  p2 m# x7 Z& _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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

) E6 Z6 X6 ?0 B6 H% X' BTalk 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.

! Y, j0 \6 s6 e, }* G# s* ^0 {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.

+ c% J- y8 r* D! m  U2 W借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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; m3 d. T- b9 c/ [" VHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

! B, B3 Y7 @4 W胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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! k' ]1 D' }# H' [2 R" v; z; z2 l19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

$ \4 n7 e7 S  H& n; ]* wThe 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
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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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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 f8 w. M( U( R/ w) }' O) ?billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗