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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0 E& g/ n& \) {" n1 ZShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

4 j2 b0 p# u* W7 U) tShe 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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" w5 [' ^# W: k0 {) u* E动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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0 y2 Y- l5 B+ G9 O1 M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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/ f% N4 t% c. E* e. P# u% W( F刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2 m  F: h1 w' G+ t7 d# |: z9 M2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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0 M9 t! ~0 ]! hHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

, w; k7 F9 |- M% ?: Irefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

0 `5 x6 M" W" F3 e4 I$ ~4 iIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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5 Q4 U# \. i% p4 A4. 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.
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  b4 C. }" t! n+ }' O! l% Y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

: p0 f' R7 w" f& j  a  K4 l4 Z) y5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

) p/ U/ ~1 x$ R8 ZThe 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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6 M+ x- b7 n% ]+ x4 J: l6. 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.

  ^" G( N7 P. ^3 W  C2 z, P7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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9 B; ^4 B: F; J# WThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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. r2 U6 m, C1 k# U2 j" F) P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. 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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

) l2 f1 T+ y$ }2 I) M3 S3 o8 fdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

3 t; R2 x& k# f4 }3 f6 i/ olive up to one’s reputation
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" x+ S. Q; p: m+ g9. 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.

- F. y' P8 f7 [" Q# W10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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9 T% S0 ~3 G& y7 pHe 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.
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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.

4 W0 H. u/ \7 _  D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。
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All good things must come to end.

! A9 v( @0 |2 HAll feasts must come to an end.

' B# Y" H# x5 W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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5 k7 R, h- F; E1 A& A# K13. 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.
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& W8 k8 K1 `3 C& W扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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( k) D) f' {: E14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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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' m1 l* t3 ~8 K4 C, m1 z15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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% W7 `: l$ L. @4 \& J& I8 {! a16. “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。

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.

% c8 Z* O7 l3 V" [, 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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% P8 r4 ]# d$ }. ~煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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+ h* d+ c- [- [+ @% b9 \: T& Z17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I 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。

9 l9 Q4 i" T  c  U2 P/ e, D/ LHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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& |% y) ]6 |3 G, Q胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

6 `! {0 C" g; b, k) ~19. 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.

0 S  C8 a' b. c" L+ QThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

- K" y# L4 a% G2 T4 w! 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。

8 T6 H+ {% o" s& e. tHe 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