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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0 W8 }2 H9 X* T/ Y) cShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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! `% u7 @# E, M" t$ B动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

9 ?6 K4 k, w! ?2 x9 S, ^: w0 A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 S; P, P9 l4 l3 F- }8 A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.

/ o6 H$ F* j4 ^& d$ h刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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7 m8 T4 y5 k  ~2 @2. 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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7 B2 A% _. ?, L# @) H' M5 X5 f8 ]/ e5 q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

3. 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.

+ M3 {0 J# X/ p: A* Z1 r# Z4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

5 v; b( Q: f/ L' P8 ]$ h; m2 rHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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( J2 V7 `' p1 f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。

* q+ n. \; R* |  j% O* x1 K7 ]The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

; p7 H# M8 X& _1 R0 A0 r, o, RIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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$ ^, K* a1 |8 k: g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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. {! T# y* S& i) v6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

/ |) N  n* Q: e3 uHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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/ y4 \& Z4 c8 W3 XThis 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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( {, I: q& g: l# T0 H# 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;

0 f$ j  b9 q0 C, _5 j0 rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ R) g$ D# v7 k4 Plive up to one’s reputation

: h- z( Z" U0 Z$ [4 l& O0 H9. 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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/ G- r+ i) _* s( T0 m天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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4 q( o" ?! L+ b9 k) y10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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8 E; \, T+ @2 e* ]0 b' r! k+ E画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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# L5 q" O2 \; W- e11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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, U0 I$ ~9 p7 \1 u* N; yTom 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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8 l$ n1 {! Z6 f& L; R  E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.

. M; z. t4 Z: o* \2 _. b12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

7 b' A# O! J. N9 jAll 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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5 @6 i& y) D% X+ F1 aWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

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.

3 d1 T# V/ Z8 h( Q/ D9 k) p4 _* _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.
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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。

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.

5 I$ H, y7 f$ D/ x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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# Z" C6 J- z  R$ ^. D6 g: o. N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
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: c8 ~! |- o: f8 P4 C17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

  a6 N$ V& @5 F- u) m% @5 kI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

. D( x+ I: j( ?7 [+ ]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。

& \% T2 n1 S; B# y+ E7 pHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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6 [$ ^5 P: x, S! C- J& }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

8 u, g- _. L0 `" b! ]* R20. 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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9 t) `5 [' h( j- p, vHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
: V+ P  d1 X$ F5 C6 Rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

% A* A% N' V9 T上周日中午你去大统华了吗