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.

9 T0 L+ p" X" [5 }$ VShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 J. }6 u( s' ~! M! S9 W# e1 u% S动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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; Z8 _" r) _) R! T7 P动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 }& p6 ^( g; _6 w; ?7 [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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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% X2 P" {  @- G" \! s2 Y2. 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.

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

' W! O$ B" n  O* n- t9 ~: crefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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8 w5 f$ K( d' \9 A) X# e5 o- T' U, l3. 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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5 J) I; s: U8 [/ s9 ]: E4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

( E- ]* M6 }! l$ [# S( G+ DHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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) P5 d/ I& R4 D. a- |. `. k0 M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.

6 \8 Y: q& y; C2 f1 F0 r! GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

$ f; h' c, H  CIf 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.

/ b1 N! c- M  f0 k# `( l+ s8 D! H6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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* X  ^! ~5 I( Y9 m4 z7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

( t3 r- n0 k7 w/ 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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

: H& ^( _# D  V名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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1 m' ^4 M, [+ t* o1 g$ V9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* P8 o) o1 n- _  w# S# |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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

1 i6 p7 E9 s1 k/ {He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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) p1 q' Z  m7 }) g) N- G' E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。

6 \; v1 U- A: L" s+ B$ MTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

+ {5 {1 w; w1 |& h" v( A% f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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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8 E+ r! K0 G* |7 i9 W9 D+ @All good things must come to end.

2 O! r( G" v$ W! B/ q3 c  v. rAll feasts must come to an end.
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+ B  R6 S# Z) S' V) {8 F( M4 U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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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7 [* G& p! @3 z  \9 CWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

5 \8 v$ R, \( X' {! G9 I. ^扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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; e3 v1 A1 q" n9 C14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

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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3 P3 {9 }' S" o3 r& Z% ~! }/ A15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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( y. E6 F2 l6 r0 K) `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。

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.
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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.

3 A% {/ l* X) C' K4 H# M. |借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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- M6 z: F4 m4 ^% Q: d! r5 OI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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/ {9 B& U- M+ F  \  t7 |哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 C" @! ?7 U& Q0 h- a1 F  ?18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

$ a. ~* ^4 P$ }He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

. y1 Q; d; V# y+ L' k" _* m19. 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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; h7 x- t) {9 Z  z$ LThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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/ l7 B( n* [: X! j7 ~2 Z7 ?6 A" C6 {The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

# x8 g& v% n2 c扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

5 N; I( v/ n3 Q) k! I! i20. 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。

& S  o( Z9 J% O7 {# vHe 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