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.

) J3 c: d" J3 h) V* S) M+ WShe 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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) D, t' i0 Q6 L4 m( P+ L' Y动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 L$ ~' N5 Q0 z- s- p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.

& p5 b; _% ?! S, m; j: g1 [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。
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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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/ L' a2 ]# ^; a3 z  ^1 e/ ?% M4 E5 X1 H% R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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. r1 u- S+ j2 m* Srefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

8 r) t5 L* O8 N1 E& Q4 Q: {It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

' D  i; e6 I# R0 `" }4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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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.

' |! Z- h3 w0 U) v6 |) y5. 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.

0 M9 F; Q! `3 W8 E. Y0 D3 M/ v6 YThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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6 X9 J+ ]" T* c( I/ x3 o4 O2 HIf 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.

9 l! J0 ]. M: `! z6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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.

! _! }& J( b- ]$ e7 d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. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

2 p3 z  U! M8 v- O9 c5 U7 [/ {It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

& X; r; f* l- m名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

6 N1 M3 o6 [  q* Qdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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+ E, K7 \, f7 z6 {live up to one’s reputation

$ A! ?1 E; v" W1 ^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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$ q( I* @1 p* }天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

2 g+ C7 t2 g% T10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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. X% c* X% H) g% c3 i! p0 eHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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" Q& W( c" b% {9 Q画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

$ T4 w2 x( O) j) m11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

1 C- W( B) m& Q# s4 ~. f- d+ E" D* XTom 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。

All good things must come to end.
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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.

" @/ S' w0 G( g. k4 ^9 j13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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; F- Y/ T& ]6 R& \0 E  ~* QWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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9 n7 g. T" I: S' R2 n, t' M  ]$ M扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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5 A  o2 n( m& o( e# B& \1 ^0 r14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

; O% o/ ^1 D# ?+ y" S$ j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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  J/ Y9 Q1 b( z: m15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

4 w# U3 }; A% Z+ E. B' O5 q# r  W16. “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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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.

2 L/ t7 X( T4 {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
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5 q0 [1 H1 _% x1 N- Z7 X4 N" o17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

! z% ]) M! M3 y# N' Y6 jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

0 [, n6 g3 p0 v6 z3 u: F- k. _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.

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。

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

4 p8 P; p5 L' d$ S" x' QThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

5 ~2 T9 p, ?$ A! C$ P2 d$ T1 s& E* _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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; o9 f: ~) n' m8 g. gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗