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.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

+ Q" M2 g6 m/ q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.
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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.

( H; E7 r1 U3 k+ m' ?" s8 f0 g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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

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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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.
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; l* `+ c! Q4 i石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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) q$ i0 l  l% g, g; p- @: a+ nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

# y2 Q& Q) S+ i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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

1 O& t2 {1 L$ t! S8 @* X  X5 Q7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

7 Z& R$ c5 t8 D) S+ R* W  wThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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, ]0 r, X$ ], }: B) F0 Q( Q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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5 q7 W5 y" [8 `8 i/ ^2 Y) H- H名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

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。”
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- K& z4 P6 i6 J- TMy 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.

/ d( O# i' p1 a% [6 Z- Q, S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

6 D! T( N, t% q, c5 V6 Y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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0 r# _" ^7 S# T' Y. F2 n4 J* VTom 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.

/ {8 {1 p3 S* H& @" h4 Z9 K12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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& L" H' Q/ _% d$ [* L& P8 oAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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6 W! _; a# |% _/ x5 ^: wA leopard can’t change its spots.

$ ^! X* l4 G& J# m( a江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

. ^+ Y/ y0 l6 \: M! T  u2 S15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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" j" }* f" M! wA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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16. “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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; ~% s: Y. D. }; ~, VTalk 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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3 H* R- @- p& {. x& h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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: O6 z' R3 V% C9 F+ c& M6 d0 @煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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) V# Z& G4 i' O, D' u17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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/ A% b+ H* t6 O, Z% p: F2 QI 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。
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2 e7 i4 \8 D( Q( eHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

4 R  {5 Z, X. @7 J8 J! C1 q8 t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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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6 S& }) r3 R6 }0 S" rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

- H& z6 n! Y8 i1 }* a* _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

7 M, A- K$ `$ i+ u# Y上周日中午你去大统华了吗