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。

/ B) c& {( @( N# Q# A8 \She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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6 b/ k1 j9 B" \0 o8 F2 u9 b3 U1 ]She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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) L) b9 z  ?" l5 X- ]5 F, k动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

! M' f% _. Y/ m' u; D& G; c9 q0 x$ w动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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3 i1 W) n, |* O# U% i动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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' M) K/ O2 ?: W1 V# ?- V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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, q/ T7 b9 c9 W9 }# V' i6 t0 ^2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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8 v7 |3 L/ B$ [/ hHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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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8 Y+ E; y" m5 J: T+ [3. 十年树木，百年树人。

& X  H3 ?8 z# W0 OIt 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。

8 C' v4 Z; \* d( v) {% WHe 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.

, y* z8 n  x2 O/ B% {5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

8 ]9 o8 R8 e( p" F4 z" ~7 [  U5 BThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

& r+ O- v  |- m# E0 \The 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.

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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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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* h' }5 X) S- C8 C! y0 P' BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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) z6 ?$ S# h0 q5 y4 T: y7 [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 |% M9 Z1 t( b8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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6 b& K/ Y# k6 \- d- K( l9 MIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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* Q+ I7 U# U! mdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 v2 {; v7 i- m2 {& q& I8 i/ N1 `live up to one’s reputation
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0 r* r' N3 \3 m: F( r% G9. 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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. e  g! f, v; e6 q& |: a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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. Q/ x! k/ i' ^9 O) N: uHe 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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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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* |" H" G( J; F! LTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

# ]% Z/ `5 V3 f) x! ~/ w1 u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。

9 @. U/ X4 D' w& @All good things must come to end.
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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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2 {+ c8 M$ I$ D% R13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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8 t! r0 s3 p9 ]( v' G$ EWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

- U, K4 [! R1 p2 J3 L5 B3 X: ?14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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- k" O: f& C3 L16. “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.
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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.
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. @& n' M! I: ~7 ]# m- J* D( h借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

- ^& m' I1 g, a2 L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。

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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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" A, b- i1 I+ `4 pHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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。
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, K& [4 [4 J3 C7 B1 T2 E! a: kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

/ s5 ^% {& q5 x" _6 A4 ~  Y: lThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 c+ f  A1 N8 x- a- x% J+ o! Z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。
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( w4 y* Q, V6 F9 M( w( @; yHe 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

* ?7 W4 @& M! w上周日中午你去大统华了吗