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。

8 F  ~& V8 N2 y( M; D) B' _She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

6 p/ l( |. E$ c' E! D) y8 a5 XShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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+ ~+ ?6 G8 p1 Q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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2 ?$ ~  h/ L* h7 q; A9 w9 [动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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) P3 Z0 A, T$ H3 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.

' {; m- N$ V1 @刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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& k6 I# n1 W/ w2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) @" j1 N" P7 U2 `: h, ?. O! f! ^He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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5 L6 [' T4 s/ x/ o+ J  A+ K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

/ C4 J. F1 k7 ~! E6 p/ q- y3. 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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$ `! m- L; N+ E* M% T4. 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.

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。

+ n* _9 U! {+ b8 d* `1 p+ U+ SThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

& z. r7 o' T+ o& H2 aThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

  d2 R) ~1 {6 W7 B* M! iIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

& f+ T! T6 u7 L; e2 a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。

& a6 E4 a% n' l& f4 nHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

0 J1 G) Q" l5 r) Y. W  r6 R* u6 kThis 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.

7 ?; m- o1 d, j$ E/ z* O' b& H8. 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.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

! x: k/ t& ]% W4 z' }8 `" U! Slive up to one’s reputation

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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  R" L" M5 }: Z1 f8 n2 p天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

, |! p8 F3 [5 Z& N10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

: K3 X* o' U( w3 b  K. BHe 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.

8 t- {$ |% D9 l- c" H' C11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

  g" }8 u- L' P# JTom 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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6 R% R  d1 ^! d- G( o12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

, Q  r7 p+ J& Q6 ^$ t2 q* WAll good things must come to end.

; W# C% `8 W9 K; n; F1 x5 z/ t" oAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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; n" C1 I( l, T  ^! O% q, R13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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/ s- p+ ?) |! P" P* P8 Y( SWith 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.

8 E, s/ a6 M& U! @7 p; u* A14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

0 }9 t3 E5 C4 E' V7 H" l! o* g4 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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8 F+ e3 N4 O, m' b3 |* q15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ [- u6 h: B% j. R% G0 IA 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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, k. K; A% C; O6 z2 a5 }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.

8 u! A' [, \! W% L. q/ L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.

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

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.

6 H% F  S% ]! R: _1 B# y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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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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! k. w8 [, I8 o3 y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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6 V0 C7 l9 m0 {( A4 P; R7 BThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

1 F0 T- b- W$ ~& z' mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

8 Z9 g9 l7 c, X# M$ G* @% a扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

& b7 M1 d# L: M" 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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# |1 [8 x( t6 \He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; k: B8 S: Z$ m% L& ^billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗