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.

% t( j' m# Q) n) ]: {She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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& t& r) T! W3 }; n8 p! a动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

- I1 \  s; B2 b" q9 c& @0 T, X动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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4 C% S+ `; o3 e. L! x7 U他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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, a. O& L3 S! J' h# k& g刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

3 r/ U3 e9 V* `# X- Z1 _) L2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

; {( g" R6 v' A: |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;

& b, e/ G6 ~; |8 a# H! c, q1 rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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6 z8 B# t/ D$ ~  Q$ lIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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  i  K  H. x) V- a4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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, J. ~4 V( d0 N: Z0 h: dHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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$ Z) k( o0 u" O; V. B& O0 HThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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  ]- u) i5 O9 L& fThe 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.

8 J- B- v0 {. b0 O6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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4 J# h* x) G7 u, x3 {He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 T9 ^% Z' d! v8 }7 J9 I7. 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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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& _9 H9 |. i/ P5 X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

: Y2 z8 j# a, `# N- ~* Nlive up to one’s reputation
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) {# d7 E8 P/ M& A( n" o  j: |# x( w9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

8 Y4 P# _. ~; rMy 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.”

  ^! R* O. R/ J) j; F7 F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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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。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

1 \0 Q3 |! l$ b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.

8 c5 }, P5 _$ t, H2 o+ R12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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# p4 d; d; g7 \% |" l" c7 @All feasts must come to an end.
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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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: ]  x6 L* f/ h0 U3 Y; m8 |$ [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.

$ g# T  s) H& L扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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, R  i6 e3 t& h/ {6 ^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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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$ A3 [4 G: E' z" mA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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/ S4 Y, `4 ^1 A7 `7 d; F6 i16. “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。
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5 ]+ ]/ g1 z* G/ k. G/ o  fTalk 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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4 R7 }2 v  I3 k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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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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1 n. w; F$ O6 [- b) ?% x1 qI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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# S1 \3 l/ o( B  d哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 k* x! U! z' s- v' P18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

% v8 [8 ?9 l4 yHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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8 f( j) D1 G! h2 \# j胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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.
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- s7 `7 `+ g% _6 G% g" kThe 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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) m7 _4 C2 Q' f3 o  o0 E% Q0 \4 U20. 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。

+ G0 l5 T% Q5 s+ z+ L8 P6 rHe 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

" a* W6 X+ r6 }' z: W* r上周日中午你去大统华了吗