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.
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9 c  g# s8 J' k' k' T: M6 z5 A/ C动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

/ L1 a! }3 g; n) t2 |: E他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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- f9 @! R. L( A* Z6 W0 A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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8 E* v! i8 `/ Y5 N. f7 j) Y! e; ?He 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

) A6 T; N3 x) @# n4 W7 d8 t3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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) Y0 k' E% Z% B& O: jIt 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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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" i1 k2 b- c4 A石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
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0 f4 x. p- o6 Z5 g5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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2 @" m. N6 e5 tThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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8 e2 R9 k  l) ~, j3 q& P7 }3 iThe 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.

2 |# _, F& N+ u2 v# D. 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.

" v6 T: |2 v" @9 J2 _3 b# t6. 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.

6 a3 H6 [& F7 N! [7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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. M8 e1 J7 d* |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.
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; C( Q9 }: U+ f  j9 Y" J8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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/ }# i+ {4 V2 x' @5 k: uIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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; o8 ?" [8 p8 P9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* H; K5 v; m8 z$ G% Q9 }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.”
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* R) p7 S+ Z( w* I# C天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

- _5 z, l% ^. ~: X6 b10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

5 n; p5 z% v  J3 t1 z, K# {: kHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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1 V$ R/ d- m; J* `) t: e3 R/ A0 d画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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1 k! X* T8 |9 ]/ m8 |2 R; L. j  b11. 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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/ c  R# m% ?1 D! y/ s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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( `9 m. i( A- e12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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& l$ J" P2 Z' \' v7 g3 q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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& ^' a6 w/ M* p9 W, q13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

$ i+ C+ d. k- w# T# MWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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8 y( m: E* l8 v+ ~% v! G$ c3 a6 x扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

$ ?" @! D8 l! o3 }0 IA leopard can’t change its spots.

$ v: K4 B1 I. K0 b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。

; a) F! s; W) g6 d& MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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. _2 x& D4 p- A) g  c16. “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.

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.
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" w. \9 f7 C4 T9 b/ Z7 d煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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! _1 Q% a! ~8 K, ?8 r* k0 S17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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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  `) x! l0 M3 Z9 `3 G* J18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

3 U' U  h7 g+ JHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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. Z8 o: i! `& I9 C胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

& D- G) N$ Y, J/ j- ^9 \9 G19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

3 v; k! N+ |5 l7 o" F% b; o* QThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

; W2 z, x  _  u! XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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。
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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