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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2 L; i, X+ V! M% ~She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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! ~; W! A# L6 o8 b+ P7 \% nShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

" z# Q8 ^: F: F" x/ O" h2 {' |动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

# r* Y! |! J' ^4 L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.

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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He 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

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.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

* e2 K1 e- d1 o0 WHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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* P- o* q" y" ^, c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。
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/ l3 y* Q  a* m/ LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

' X- Z0 E; ?" m/ DThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

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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  z4 U- l1 w, l6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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2 P# @  I' p; M1 iHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

& {. o$ L2 }& L5 a3 B7. 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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1 I* I) [6 _  g5 D8 C张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

1 D' w) y  N! n' G6 j: y( u4 ]. R8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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( ]4 a6 N) ~- k. Z9 [It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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( U" r/ d; m; Cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

3 L/ E$ `! x  `- \) E8 slive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He 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.

) j% j& M. B# P  u5 C+ r11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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2 r& J1 z1 z5 m3 W) f% f% iTom 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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1 i8 y+ B* ^! @12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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6 f5 a" I- N- [2 OAll feasts must come to an end.
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- C: }) n% H1 T5 {, |7 Q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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$ M  T$ S0 Z. }. k) G: @8 K$ 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

' P" P' o; G+ O  ^$ h' B; M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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

1 S8 u0 o5 H, WTalk 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.
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  t, y1 F6 t% T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。

6 o0 T1 `% ]1 V1 |2 u  a/ ^I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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* e9 R( K8 l( }$ F! \哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

  o" [7 Z3 e! z) K4 D  ]% |1 U! f18. 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

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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

0 I7 V/ ?% P5 Z9 Y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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$ n, @5 O) r! j! k1 QHe 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗