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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5 K0 }' r$ {# \& q  O& XShe 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
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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

" C: n# T9 P( n9 X他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

9 j" W: N' c3 Z8 B! |2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

2 a- P  ]6 [* {  d/ r+ N2 vHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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( U" @" K- S7 d  M  K  ]5 H) w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。

  l/ J: R% N$ [7 S$ J: L6 GIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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* G# B$ n2 v5 E) b4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

( v1 i; p3 ]% a( {' HHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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. F9 r9 f/ T/ z) W- k# w; b6 iThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 p0 ^; F8 a( b7 S" E# c  ]' z1 x8 `The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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0 H$ ~8 T) K  Y  S$ N* i; [If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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 J+ n2 o: D. N( R4 J. l6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

" c% Z8 i" e) a, t9 UHe 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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2 n1 |: F9 s9 o  m( }1 Z4 \This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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! X! ^# T( [5 n5 Y( j张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

: d' K* p% w7 J7 p( \0 g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

4 C1 E6 W" u0 [5 R# MIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

! Y" Q; N+ B2 ylive 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。”

; c: H/ H1 X4 t5 w& n/ oMy 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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* }7 n3 V+ o+ ?& Z, X% i天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

, @/ x7 A. U) y* Z# r10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

/ m: r- v) p$ }6 VHe 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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3 D4 S# L8 N0 L2 D3 W5 T/ y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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' _' C8 l8 R7 Q) K- q3 Q0 k, d' pTom 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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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0 L7 O3 U( }- W2 D$ ~' BAll good things must come to end.

All 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.

. O- s! g: ]" `# h13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

: q! z: |/ B' R" w* nWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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# p2 P, c" p( v! j0 f0 W* n, j扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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/ t! o/ X! N  o& k& {: t0 K14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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.

& ~( Z5 M  c; E+ O15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

% K* X; h7 {; ~0 d  G5 o16. “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。
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2 s+ {, T8 p* Z2 U9 oTalk 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.

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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, h* {  b& ]3 L- ]. Q. O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

  T' \% E9 Z/ [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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" P% {+ Q$ K8 y) a+ FI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

) I4 M- P1 R8 F" z/ Z* n) ^哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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$ u- G6 S* N4 _+ R0 l8 y% }8 j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

0 W9 i( t0 B0 O5 u3 ]+ {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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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.

$ k0 c1 a- I* g- t# d6 L扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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+ Y! d7 S7 Z! Q3 V+ z( O0 ~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。

$ X' p, z, }5 |7 J9 PHe 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

. L3 P2 p  v) \2 l3 @3 Q上周日中午你去大统华了吗