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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: g& `+ |( X8 q! T% ~1 dShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

' P5 P+ t! R+ A/ a# V4 m! dShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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* w: s$ Y1 `( V. C: o; n  H9 Q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

7 r3 K  ~: X2 r. V动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

2 n, e8 Y- H5 d8 q, l7 c' h他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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* n% t- W2 j$ e$ S+ c; ~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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' Y8 w4 O" C: t8 v: [3 n# x6 gHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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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, R  U8 b, o5 c- T/ u' t  \1 ]1 ^refuse to give up until all hope is gone

9 r; G: o& `# [# f# r3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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3 ?* S$ S6 s  F  R2 C# `/ ^3 L( h! B" p, BIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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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.

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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6 P. F. O' w4 C: u9 H( r8 Q3 o5. 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.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

5 u" e6 b5 ^4 A# }9 U, V+ ^If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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+ z! ]/ }$ I, y1 ]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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* U9 r5 f9 c& O- a6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

) g' Y5 H5 t$ P. gHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

- S# u7 \! G+ e4 O% L" wThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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5 e9 V! a1 K( G( N: [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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. C% O$ p. d% y! [4 t& V' G8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

0 H! e( B+ t3 H$ w; C$ n; aIt’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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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”
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' @; J( w* ^$ yMy 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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# L; {" k8 [5 d; ?$ |天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

: p" l( v6 M, `! L+ d& }10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

) Z! \. l6 _4 _- uHe 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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

7 ], j: P0 j' b& ?& }* LTom 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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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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* u: I# k1 j! S# s+ C1 J12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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/ O: H0 N  ]! ?& P2 T" K$ I+ WAll good things must come to end.
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4 W$ J( d( e: q; N/ ^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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

8 a8 ?6 ?5 ]: S# d5 I; H1 OWith 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.

9 M: n- I$ ^) M! j* a14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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# H: x5 ^) R+ H. m4 N* F+ @9 ]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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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

2 B1 X9 d6 K- H( m  [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.

: w5 M: R0 o. y- I4 A( V4 m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.
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1 t0 z; s, K3 O2 ?1 W4 @" q. j煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

( C7 y( I1 i2 ?8 U) T17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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

6 ]; S# f$ Y% l+ C* X( f+ ~# i18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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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5 b9 `* M# B  fThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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! R, _& M8 X2 n/ M; d; V: YThe 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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6 ]) r! w9 G6 U* cHe 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

2 s0 S6 U/ W, g% ~上周日中午你去大统华了吗