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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& V( M' W0 W* i  W4 k1 ]She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 v* B3 l/ B7 b动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

8 |  M* _+ C% c2 v/ D$ j6 T他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

2 `8 o0 S) X; Q0 }. |+ W" A刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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8 b9 V: E) P; t% z2 X2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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$ i. p+ b, y9 GHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

! y1 {# s8 T; r1 ^% o不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

- J9 ]" ^- b. T6 ?( R. mrefuse 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.
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% l* R7 Z) {6 u* v* L! R; [6 }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.

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 r! T# ^/ F0 w* Y# I/ `! L4 G5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( c- e/ X$ f5 X- Q$ O2 FThe 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.

) b* i5 [  x5 F- D" pIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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8 k' u+ E& }/ O+ P8 |5 c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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: S+ |2 G: H3 k( }5 o% U2 x6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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/ a. Y8 M% I5 G1 pHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

$ T$ S  W( O: m2 @This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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/ g3 ]/ d* Q! B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。

) c5 \$ R3 W; w# A! q' }9 H2 n- VIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

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

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

% c! a; m' m4 wMy 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.”

. m$ S& f& n4 l% ~5 Z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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: G$ M0 E9 m8 J) W4 k/ i11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

: l" c; h, {3 x. F3 ?6 J8 [" rTom 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.

! `* Q8 G5 Y6 s9 ~( k12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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$ A& G( T" A" X7 H8 V) nAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

$ M2 W& M, z; h9 }) l$ M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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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' }% ?1 V# _- L8 Z& S14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

, o* q0 X' G1 Y& F+ e7 L" p- R0 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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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.

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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$ C' o- x9 g# b& B* Z/ u$ D7 U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

9 S9 u- V* X( I( C17. 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.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

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
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. n0 E, _+ T* C; s/ F7 Y19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

: _, s- ]" a% {7 p: PThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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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
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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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗