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.
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She 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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+ @+ H0 o( E. o4 O动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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9 G4 C4 E4 T' s9 A& N$ J) m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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+ b2 P4 j+ d& k9 |9 g# e1 }# H刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

3 n2 M( X4 c) S; z7 L* D7 u. m2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

9 o. I6 C/ i+ S7 R. sHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

" O* ^& p6 v- d5 S2 @7 f0 x+ E) n' [  q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

3 e6 l, p) D/ S, m( N3. 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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& G: A" o. L6 i! \* P! g4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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: B# W; `5 m+ F; \, m! eHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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1 O* v  B7 Z5 O2 E1 C" K石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

# F0 `7 C$ J) }" N5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

( \" M' s# A# h4 f. nThe 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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

6 A% J. z- D" }$ z: a* b; z8 U) Y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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; x8 _, q7 J$ U6. 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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- a4 f0 F+ e5 e5 X" b8 J# Z7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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8 i4 b8 L5 `, M0 A$ l4 }This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

3 |, u' F. V& n, u( Z! X5 \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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/ W' H# V% O. G# r2 A: b8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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, N7 O: O$ h. K) w3 [. w& qIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ A  g0 k$ g" W/ b$ o- h7 w( ?deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 F; V! E9 f1 `! W) T& l9 w8 d# h7 Ylive up to one’s reputation
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& t2 ]5 R$ y+ F# Z8 i7 n& G% F0 U9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

5 P7 J+ j# |5 q% [  @) r+ b# r7 {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’.”

5 Q9 f6 q* i3 F4 {, K2 w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。

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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% I0 c/ B; |% v/ G- |+ G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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; ?* r- g; H9 n2 z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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

, }- E0 z! N4 g# RWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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% }9 S% J! e3 W5 O5 y& S) ^扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

/ X1 E; F+ O7 Q( g14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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4 a$ |. W6 L8 X9 w4 V3 RA 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。
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1 F6 }+ ^( K  K1 KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

; x% L. m; q. _" S16. “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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1 n8 m7 j6 D1 ]  ]' u9 M  L" ~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.

9 k$ J+ ~) {4 A9 k+ u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.
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! F" F1 R$ G) S8 T0 S) n  P9 t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。

% r8 ~" `+ M1 t6 C. k7 L9 [- z8 t( TI 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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+ G  F8 b4 n$ Z) r" F$ O18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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" d/ P% }2 d# Y0 m/ R  W" R胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

, J8 m6 k% d4 }7 ]- z$ t& h2 n* t19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

- |* T1 S. x# s扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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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