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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

8 u- z* |/ b. n0 _8 r8 C动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

  z9 [( [/ k0 V$ f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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4 v2 N5 Y# L% ?0 o9 |! j* xHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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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。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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# ]  I' m+ r  A3 }8 g6 J4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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. s6 G" N' _. z0 S4 Q# i) E$ }He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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8 e2 ~, g/ F3 Z& T1 }- o  E. g1 M# GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

! X" I+ v/ y; t. B  v* PHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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8 y) v, M( Z  e- o7. 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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7 w7 r+ I3 y, R2 AIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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' {) X* o- v- ]* ^3 R& D0 b名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

  Y( b% A( t4 N: H  W: K1 y9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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. e! B9 K2 \" o- y% L- tMy 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.

- Z  a1 F9 G, I4 w- N10. 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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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。

Tom 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.

1 J, q1 X0 H  E- v/ p/ q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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. x$ `& A( i) D; K5 xAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

9 {& z$ I, T0 D- @+ S# u4 p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.

6 F. b' @4 s0 ]) V  l' j( ^3 `13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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# m4 c" N6 F% m8 S: mWith 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.
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7 H6 V1 ]9 W1 u. `) g+ p14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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2 `  F, P6 k- ^( l* m) ]0 }/ \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。

5 I9 X3 V  ?8 xA 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.

6 V! N, p. W$ q/ S% i* z& H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
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+ h, o# n5 N& ]8 @5 e/ D8 O17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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0 ~. u% B8 J# g6 n6 E# hI 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

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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+ I$ x& I7 `& z2 {) I+ e# E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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# Y) \) U$ K& C9 ?8 ]7 Y% IThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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! `2 l9 L: {4 P& E/ J20. 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。

* @* x7 {) Q8 W* UHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% E3 y% |/ Z  [& zbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

; \' K7 Z. J6 B" ~上周日中午你去大统华了吗