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.

" F$ h5 g9 R* ^8 RShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

; H: c9 E7 t( D6 Q  K5 W7 b1 D- @4 k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

* L7 o' F6 ^0 e" ~- l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

( |( r4 I1 @$ y' A0 G. V3 T+ s2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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6 m$ j8 S" ~$ i7 L& Z! E不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

' a, `3 c& N0 l( j' @! A3 hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; J% U) \( y% sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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, C0 T3 v1 T8 q! x1 K7 C: F4. 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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. B; s; B0 j) o& M石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 a$ w0 C+ B; J& P$ P5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

4 }4 ~: l" j" X/ L7 C  RThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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  A5 f4 H2 r# \The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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& u  O/ L  J7 B& s* R' r) Z5 N3 mIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

! h6 L6 q9 [. b7 d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.

; g; c  B; b1 G* S, b, H6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

- M+ t, B% p$ J+ M! K7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 Q. x, v& m+ O" E( eThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

5 }" S$ g, p3 n: r) }张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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! m- L! [  m9 v9 q* Q/ O: j; ldeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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7 r# i0 h+ b0 b9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

; a) t% `/ e$ O5 ZMy 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.

/ J" }/ N# z  t- i' H; |( z10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 a) }1 ^1 ?7 aHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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* f9 l+ ]* L; {& z* a' L* m9 R11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

; C) y# [# Z- wTom 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.

- V. Y( x" ~: U# L* ^* G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

0 Z) Y% i1 N" R" bAll good things must come to end.
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All 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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7 v! e7 D" ?6 k, }# U13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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5 O; ]9 R# S) y" p! W$ lWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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6 {. e$ r3 Z" q& m扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: `: A: m. I7 \# N* c( W14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  v7 a/ ?  `! c% X1 P$ W16. “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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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.

+ M$ V2 Z) _! ~5 }5 B3 }5 c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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8 h! L% l2 r# W1 |; H: G( u借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

& F  i- O3 |% l2 s8 V煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

; a6 D1 |& ]* B+ n17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

* X. w" u& A6 Q; M7 N- M. r* @( fI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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2 k/ K* n' {" i5 q: S0 W5 Z( k* ?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。

2 F8 u- J" j5 a$ L- U& xThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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8 a  y( Q7 U/ u. d7 a8 AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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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+ K* n" C7 A& k3 j6 b$ o* d: FHe 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

" [; h9 _/ q& W$ k4 C6 B9 j上周日中午你去大统华了吗