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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8 m! \4 ]) }' j8 ^6 P# F) G  c. FShe 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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

8 w3 ]4 L6 A: Q& J7 E' e动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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8 B( L$ ?4 R! s# R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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

1 `/ W$ C, }' J0 \' X  G0 P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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) V. C, z) ]7 A% J0 Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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.

; b! r' r9 R6 y3 O% u8 F8 X4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

' h/ ^. Z$ y5 J+ w) O4 _He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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! |4 @, R7 X+ P" |0 e4 |  R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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

* [) ~' \) o! F' Y6 _: RThe 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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) r# K2 H5 j0 g3 [5 p- m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.

3 U0 T* j; g# E& ]8 n6. 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.
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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.
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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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5 a8 g/ m" H) X+ [) _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

. M+ J% S8 t; LIt’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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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

' i& _/ p* A5 iMy 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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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”。

9 J- }8 E8 c4 w& X6 E2 A. HHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

( P' t3 E; N/ m0 o' t画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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  W  m" Q0 C7 `) f! o! ^( `9 r11. 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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( |. s& N' l- `3 Z7 A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

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.

5 ?# t0 I9 J# E7 u- d! z13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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' u+ O0 h  w# s0 A4 i* P4 h( RWith 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.
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, K* c" ?# a7 {  B8 J9 j14. 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.

  Y6 O- r7 C8 y- R15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

' O9 J1 s( M) l" _4 ^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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  q3 w" w8 m4 A/ `: v4 {/ u+ l2 }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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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。

  b' S9 U9 Y# M3 O- a/ wI 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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8 n" W/ q6 P- w2 s5 B, z9 v, Z18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- [. I7 X6 O# U' f& i$ OHe 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

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.

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

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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& ]5 l3 k, x$ g3 \9 _; N4 o! w1 QHe 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

1 m/ w5 F. a1 B; o( O上周日中午你去大统华了吗