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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

" j2 z; q5 ~$ ]5 ?4 y, U) F; p6 TShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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' U2 }* @: e2 S2 X7 A  h" k" h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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! }+ E0 X4 S  J8 N, a% p: c9 c刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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! K* A) i  B4 b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

! N, u  y0 @% Z# E7 G, b3. 十年树木，百年树人。

' J! _. F9 _# h# G" u' uIt 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。

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.
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5. 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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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$ @1 @3 v' n: DIf 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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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: v7 {% C4 V2 KHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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$ Q. n8 Z/ z$ ]" H, y2 \9 LThis 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 b- _0 ~2 q8 j; V, l5 o8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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8 G1 _- w6 s  i" M0 S6 J9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* x7 \! D. \( @5 w2 y% N. kMy 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.”

$ h3 g9 z9 S. _3 e7 E( C% A% ^2 ^3 I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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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9 n0 T; B; g( y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" p5 @5 w2 M& s4 ^4 U$ [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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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( ]' e/ \% G$ ^! C4 X$ E$ S) i& DAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

+ ]* X" X4 U) m" }9 |; 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

- D, K! t. Q0 H+ x5 Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

$ Q/ x$ k; K* S8 V* w' ?14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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+ s8 h( [5 h$ w% zA leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

$ ~+ X- F2 B9 ^  k- t7 u15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

; {5 w! U9 g4 e$ ?* E16. “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.
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/ N' t: f0 x" n  d) u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.

0 H2 h  b# e1 Y, y借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

) ~& G. f1 o6 K% m* K煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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6 d" R: L/ J/ n  S, h& u, W( e17. 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
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* K( e/ Z) }9 w) P! I' k18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

1 n5 }; O1 e# s) [3 x7 mHe 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
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' O3 J, L- E6 d  d5 g" x19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

4 c6 w! O0 W& N9 h% [0 x& R+ s2 \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.
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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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% J% g- B. P! N- mHe 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

# V2 j% Z$ F3 U( ?上周日中午你去大统华了吗