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.

She 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
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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
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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

( u$ l; o9 H- I; v, u; w2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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  T: S% h9 q2 t3 R# B4 }  Y, H1 z  {He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 |* H3 G* @' v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。

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。
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+ @7 c7 o: V0 a5 lHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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% R# Q( Y$ ]  x' s& |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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 v0 n# X! X5 G9 T7 A7 PThe 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.

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.
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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.

" X: C2 _. K$ X2 y2 ?张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

+ K0 s( Q: c# b2 e9 B' l7 n8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

# b! z. o/ @0 ^' NIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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3 L& F- b, J, R( x# k+ x7 m! c名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

% W  r* U: T* N7 ~3 P6 S. f" pdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ x3 l( u/ x- b# glive 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。”

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.”
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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”。
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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.

! N& [% O( M9 B8 n11. 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.
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1 A; y7 V9 J4 |. W/ J+ V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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3 ~$ g( v( [! G- k3 ~All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

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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. {- J8 O8 k& v4 G7 b& Z5 d13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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. ?2 N& R2 T/ |* [7 BWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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9 z1 T, E. w+ d: u6 s( c8 A6 D& Z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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7 J" Y7 N: n8 H5 o. q1 ?- n+ wA leopard can’t change its spots.

- g2 W8 Z. B- E6 ~% A; c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。
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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。
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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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3 w; f8 E  Q! w# q2 ?$ p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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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

0 Z. ~! x) e+ e) j; [17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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  K$ n6 n3 n! D) g( a: E0 S5 EI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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* P* n0 G+ s; Y胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; p; S, B; |( V- S19. 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.

, s' E3 W$ m+ D5 }9 H" eThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

. ]/ L; K) {( `2 `扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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, G# N+ r5 g6 Z* @4 f: n3 ]; Z( V0 I20. 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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He 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