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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; M4 P+ _" U& V3 Z3 CShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

8 O. ^5 S' C, J6 f% h3 ~( m  I$ iShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

5 ]# I- s5 ^: @( Z动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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+ m( k2 E& `7 t0 N) ?! @动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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: F8 {! W/ R! ]- k0 B; d8 l1 x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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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+ v5 _* X) n! f2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

+ w" I/ F: d' x* t- R* vHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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; }& ]2 Y1 E$ x3 h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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0 x  o; |" A0 }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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& z- U( M! ~8 F9 n) d% c4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

) }( L6 }9 r' b: X( n: tHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

' K2 {4 L8 ^) J' }* X& ^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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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: ?" {  ^9 T; S8 n# w  ~The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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  R# e; \0 w; [: h- c3 zIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 ^( D% ?+ S/ o' |! X+ s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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- ]8 M; c: F; V- F6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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4 E2 S" q/ [# uHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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$ n8 s& J& y* l/ [) b7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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.

8 c3 c! r" v3 i, L8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

2 `6 m% s% e1 bdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

2 B0 \  U9 ]2 L9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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! f4 S# b6 @2 {4 m7 e7 gMy 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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6 g- o+ r+ W# |, g+ I; N10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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  s7 ?7 H4 ?3 gHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

9 A* {" s3 p- x* Y, a7 O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。
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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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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.

+ L, I. ^! `3 U5 T12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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3 P! Z2 g* L$ [7 H7 }All feasts must come to an end.
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7 @* N' q; p4 E8 n) s4 b! ~: {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.

5 S8 K: `7 Q7 s0 q0 H% _13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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9 I; j1 ]9 l  l  j* Q& fWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

3 p% v  U5 c7 o  d0 V/ i) x: k- i扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

+ z( d4 g! n, Y; N/ r) R* 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.
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8 g2 i# j) o- e7 P# ?15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 q4 W" q! l) M0 L* K6 Z6 S& W2 nA 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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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.

# q% G1 ^- u5 C  f+ 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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。

/ Y. b  f- l) U# hI 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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

$ Y' X, h3 f& ~  G4 qHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

' J! O( B- Z8 c3 n& n2 [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。

0 S! z# Y. a& r( VThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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% c/ y+ i/ J2 `6 q" w1 {The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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' f# u, I) }2 Q扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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: b8 @3 x' b% Z3 a  r% R20. 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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: K. p' P. j" s6 H% ^6 F  QHe 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