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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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8 }, B% r( w. l( t, q' @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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" B5 o) n0 S* J: s1 Y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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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- u" u8 q. [( Q# U3 o* _% Y2 r2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 v/ @# W! @! x) L0 N' uHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

/ f4 S9 B/ J2 ^- q1 k$ Y, @; c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

7 W* ?* E' K2 k3. 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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3 s# p) `( l! f/ U4 f( d8 n; M4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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( }4 x% Q9 E8 h% F  W( S/ p% q- y8 ]He 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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The 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.
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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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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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/ T' |' r2 V6 L8 f$ x* C8 zIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" P, Z$ [1 C8 H- v- C; R( S' W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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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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5 G, X: z$ F6 E$ g; N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”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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0 v* Q# w7 v, e0 {6 P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.
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& e* y  a  y* q0 _3 l8 j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。

( t+ T6 P8 s6 m8 r5 p& QAll good things must come to end.
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/ V) P( k0 [; p, l% SAll feasts must come to an end.

% Z) R  L: u( G5 _' f, ]# W0 L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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9 K8 P0 H- e' g  a( Z4 H/ I/ ~13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

$ k7 o' A7 F0 r) d! L! q! ]. |. BWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: Z; I5 z* h9 g, t14. 江山易改，本性难移。

* {1 G% J+ A/ j  AA 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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' g/ G9 G; n" p) ^; K- E0 D( {. h15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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% ?$ q8 [! P/ n6 Q) F16. “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.

+ }1 n6 ~0 O$ ~  w. g6 o6 T. x8 W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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8 f" i8 n. ]" s( l9 f) r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

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.
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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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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

9 B6 s9 v' }8 R* U, Y6 l胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

8 t! z; w: U1 d19. 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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; ?3 w2 e, H# jThe 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.

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。

- ~3 |- M: z: V' z/ rHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
8 u+ ]$ N7 Q. R# ibillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗