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。

0 t* y) g* y6 \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.

1 _% l- f- H% E7 J: B% D3 V动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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" R( W/ h! [; M3 b$ R动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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# L: T4 K6 X, ]" L7 ]4 A, C! i- M动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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( Q* v% F, G( r) x8 L他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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8 e8 d& b; K) F  h刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

+ o  `2 q5 s, Q# Z0 i2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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+ o8 Y: \5 e& w0 A' r- f" w" HHe 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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) L! U/ K. Y" A" ~6 f/ I5 ?5 _4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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5 i5 `# m9 K3 \4 ?0 ]/ x' ZHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 P# n) [7 i4 l4 J5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

. o0 o2 Y! B- g( {/ sThe 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.

' R4 L( ]9 b2 a7 f. Y1 RIf 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.

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.
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$ X& K& ]) U4 ]6 g/ s1 _$ s7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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* _: v8 A/ P! p: A" w, jThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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& ?9 F0 t" P  d3 x+ ]0 L1 C; S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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8. 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.
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) a7 Y5 x8 V6 k. z0 ]9 [, O名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

0 [3 m" g% c+ Q! l. B3 E# rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

% {/ F3 I7 Y# Y+ |live up to one’s reputation

/ h; s4 i$ Q  n$ K( K: {9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

8 B. Y, U' v( B$ 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.”

& h6 r7 N3 ?" p8 B$ \3 R: h$ J天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

5 ~$ D6 t# v# |4 w; j10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

, y! `# o! V9 B- R' P3 vHe 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.

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.

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.

& p1 ~  f% i$ t% V- P& k+ u12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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3 f* [0 k* a0 J% _% I" nAll good things must come to end.
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5 g  \. S& R# y( E; h# x% g* P' q0 v1 SAll 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。

: ]+ d7 m1 W' q  `6 u2 K5 JWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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6 i8 S( J9 R0 [* \+ I' u% }扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

; s0 v% |, l& i- B- f0 N1 ^2 Z14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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! v1 c4 Y! `/ c9 d' {2 [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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

$ C( X6 V. N! Z# K8 M: `+ H16. “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.

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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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8 ~, F+ S" S, v# J# t17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

7 H+ ^. U1 t! h7 JI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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8 M: [$ u' ~2 w) k0 ]哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

9 @+ o) Z- u" F  }$ e8 L18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

' O$ [" N, o9 j1 K" m胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

% \! J0 I4 L# B' }( t6 C19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

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.

8 K+ y( f  F6 c( E, P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。

& N5 K& ^8 K2 `5 u& y# q! }" C7 H8 ?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