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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" \( B6 i3 {  JShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

3 o$ @  W" C" X# sShe 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

* E% X' ]4 l+ q$ T$ x3 T+ E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.
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' L2 o6 D7 z  E* l. K: Q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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8 i; l0 M4 \, n. ?: n- JHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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" w2 J8 ]  i& q# q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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

. s/ f: ~6 s, |* y; W石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

/ d# _; M0 X* F9 H; AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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" F9 k( x8 K2 r. [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.

. N# O4 U' w2 |9 X6 r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.

7 ~, c5 S$ P0 j4 u, J6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

9 j, I2 ^' n9 {$ AHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

6 t) k, G& r5 n, u( j/ p# J3 ^7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This 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.
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% G. p0 B9 `3 G! f3 q( y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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& `' W' f  v2 CIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

; C# x" X5 ?& U5 Y* R名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

" l+ T- [- {+ @9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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( ^  Z) q7 A$ F: d" q. b9 F10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

, e9 e* R9 I$ l' W1 t画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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8 @+ p3 L6 r0 Y. t% j  @0 K11. 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.

8 A' a& H( P7 Z8 H9 n  ^6 E9 M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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) Q2 z$ c' x9 j2 x- z& q5 n. ]12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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+ ?5 ~( o" G& I7 X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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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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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3 |$ K% h# i& `14. 江山易改，本性难移。

1 |/ M+ ~! E) l# sA 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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- h' K+ c3 N+ m% t9 Z; EA 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。

5 R2 P+ m. n+ C% s; _$ n4 M& D( HTalk 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.

. i0 E/ I2 N* F借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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( l7 L- r3 v; h/ ]$ f, ~17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 y: i) h! B! O# |I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

5 M+ e7 T) B' y8 b$ o2 \. n哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

* P4 O5 V  }2 Y! l1 d7 u, r18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

6 j8 k' N* F0 a7 U) gHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

- }& X/ R* l% C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。
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1 R) L9 f7 n9 L6 }) cThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 o1 ^4 `) \, q9 P6 T, R' f# vThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

* K( P2 n4 w2 v9 V. n4 Z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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' s0 Y. u  X6 N0 _; A4 [) lHe 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

4 w1 ]& ~- v4 B上周日中午你去大统华了吗