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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. S1 ]! n, h$ l9 c  W7 RShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She 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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, x9 q5 s  e( W% R; u动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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& i. m8 y3 A) v% ?$ e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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 @4 B1 T' m0 ^- e* _He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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% R5 s+ e; u2 P8 A! d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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- Z9 s3 T5 x! [5 B$ Irefuse to give up until all hope is gone

* f4 P+ y$ l  r! Q# `5 K3. 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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* U5 z3 C% T; z- K& H4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

  z( ~+ N1 j# v0 B+ f8 eHe 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.
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1 V5 a5 b3 y# _+ r2 @/ |- [; Z5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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

2 X3 l9 ]! b& p' e% WThe 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.

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.

1 D' P( C/ D' Q  a- n1 ]0 O6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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! s( t$ g- y* Z8 r" U$ u7 [5 H1 n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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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( F5 \5 \+ n% }& P# V2 n5 ^名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

0 R$ P) p1 V6 A3 Dlive up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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( v  Z6 h# k+ n) ^2 t9 C) kMy 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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0 Y# @! F  g* a9 A' M天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

/ b  V9 ?9 U( y+ Q3 n; ^10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

- t! H, X8 E7 L) k" n6 xHe 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.

3 [* F' T3 _7 V1 p1 [+ H5 E11. 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.

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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; ?4 p6 o6 o  k5 u12. 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.

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。
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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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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

) C' o1 e3 U) W. ?) O$ S, [, IA leopard can’t change its spots.

% e* }* o7 `: }1 ~) g6 G: J+ I; T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.

# B7 b& x  a: |$ o4 o  w3 w6 Z16. “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。

! S! K) n0 x* b0 j* C$ [; yTalk 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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+ P$ H0 B* Y$ Z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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" q* r, H% G# U6 H' n! R! \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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

( t* O  {0 t, f) B哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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  C2 C2 u$ M4 c8 }, y- wHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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2 U  b  _& p5 B- K- V4 X胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

  h: i" g7 H/ w8 _0 b' X19. 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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1 e! N( `9 a. K0 X6 H# J3 }# VThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The 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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( w# z, S* C; E3 D. |* E0 pHe 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

; }6 }+ B! I6 s8 h% K- `上周日中午你去大统华了吗