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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! b. m, H% L$ o* b$ h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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+ d) r) u+ ^( X# q4 _/ l% m# ]动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

; n; l9 f% Y" v动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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; x5 B! i$ Z- a, k, L- ], }6 Y他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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. P: ~3 s7 b  [2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

# ]: o. |2 N. h* P" J  Hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

/ b, c/ U; }0 H3 i3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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: \# M9 Z/ G9 M4 ^4 {: t3 FIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

$ n4 _1 v) }" H* P* e; p6 g4. 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.

: B1 H% _8 y) Z6 v. L/ i. A石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) ^6 D! |' v# x3 A- v5 P5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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" ?+ K' x: {; [2 _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.
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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.
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. R9 o" X8 C& \6 c3 a* |/ S6 g6. 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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0 d* b& F" ~9 Y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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/ Z( ^, l: S0 \& p& Y( ]! G" MThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

1 }$ k5 ^; z9 {& Z+ y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

' o# x, m  f6 _deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

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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) S/ h! m) D8 S0 d& m. v天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

* U% {! m& R/ V4 T8 D% P5 r10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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: I  E* ^8 M- k' Z* w, G, RHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

5 R3 q9 y. H: Y1 X, n画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 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.

$ ~2 m3 j' D+ f8 ~9 L1 C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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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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  b1 x1 w5 \+ f- c% Y13. 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.

; i3 w- F' H1 t7 s' R3 V' A, R扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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; b1 w! Y0 d) T# @! [A leopard can’t change its spots.
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& L; i5 Q8 ^) {! Z+ A7 n# b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。

+ _# i! K- y+ x0 ?% C$ p: KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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  f! A- o# l. B, j- n16. “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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, ~" F2 n0 U# ~8 q  c& I4 \! L, TTalk 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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

4 q5 W3 o! K& ^! F0 T! T5 T% H5 U, f煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

) k$ `- {9 }' a, l17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

6 }' Q, k, e) H6 ]) zI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

! h5 f0 x! \( ~. x; g哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 c+ r, q: _4 g+ h1 Y5 o7 S18. 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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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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+ }7 z8 X0 A. j, H: [) A+ ^The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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# W3 Z0 ?3 z) v' O7 cThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

8 j: }( p" e+ z6 e! b: G20. 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