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.

. _: A8 v0 }/ ]) y7 f$ KShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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1 ?! w7 f& H) A( L0 g动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

$ Z6 Z2 P! c" N动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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" r/ A* L% S' C$ i7 y8 m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
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9 S, u. l' C! C/ Q7 E0 J* `, [2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 W/ t* M4 a4 I) cHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 @7 w% u0 W8 h$ C! y) k不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

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.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

% V8 Z$ F1 v* A8 F: T. WHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

1 _4 d) z( W( S8 |$ a- n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。

( {& }" q9 u9 X- L" p: XThe 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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

" K+ ]6 b. O$ D6 U' v( P7 ~5 _1 [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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

, u8 M! X( m* K+ ^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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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/ V6 J& n7 D, H. ^1 h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
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

1 h. A: |, @+ cMy 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.”

4 r: _4 a$ b! {8 U8 R% R1 p4 x/ S天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

& o; L. v5 O/ qHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

8 }: k% u/ ?; |" R画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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8 {/ G7 j# t4 I7 u( n$ o) s9 o) PTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

) R! \! d  ?: J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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% w9 B$ D, M6 E12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

2 K6 Q. F$ }1 o0 h7 R" B1 KAll 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.
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5 B8 q, G2 K1 ?3 M" y& J, H) f13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

( w2 \& a: e6 iWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

- i. O! {, N  Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

5 g3 F1 u4 X/ r$ H# @14. 江山易改，本性难移。

8 Z0 V6 }' R/ S2 T" M- B5 \A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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。

) v* n0 o: [. I6 Y: {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。

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.

& Z- C! w% ^9 H5 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.

+ o. F& J- y1 K' @% A  j借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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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。

! }+ l+ ^8 H( L# u+ `  _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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, h8 ]1 _) o2 @- i; ~18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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8 c7 W1 @) b2 N, b: VHe 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。

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

' B9 f4 F$ N* H% WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

/ R% K5 `( r1 H: x+ Y3 f; k+ Y20. 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。

2 \0 K) ~4 B+ n6 L" {. q( `( sHe 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

% D7 G3 E9 A$ C+ E2 c$ [上周日中午你去大统华了吗