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。

# p' a" l% w3 K% C5 ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

4 f1 }9 }" i+ N/ R3 }5 \& BShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

& V# _' l5 b+ H! j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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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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% Y  X3 Z  V3 P* X6 u& c6 v2. 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.
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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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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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( M) s# n6 e# x4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

0 w9 g* R3 I# i6 C; W5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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; h0 s" Y! E4 m7 pThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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7 s/ P/ i: O: g. H* QThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

3 K8 l5 z" d4 z1 M2 ^$ p3 g" ?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.
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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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

0 m. X4 H  r" b7. 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.

; ?( {/ r  q7 Q& D% L. N' W8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

7 ~& C4 p2 b6 Y8 I1 ?9 B( [  p0 \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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# l5 Q/ e" U% A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

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

* z. a0 H* H" M/ _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.”

. y+ P* N! i- U! G; q- T天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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- f) }4 x/ [2 \, A4 |% u$ e# c10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

% r" v1 y5 \9 f8 C4 Q' `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.

2 f3 G, x7 N+ \' |% e2 N1 Z" O) A" v11. 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.
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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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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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" Z+ A4 |4 E5 x2 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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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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2 |2 |& e$ |, J( L" s5 j2 z扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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8 F+ l# O3 }% \. @A leopard can’t change its spots.
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, y# g4 G3 _) m, 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

+ M8 D" U2 E$ |/ ?6 u$ d16. “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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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.

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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2 B2 F! E" V0 ~# c1 [; G! b' R17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

+ }6 ~, Y1 ~3 Q4 q. M/ \# j- U" O- oI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

7 D5 c/ r& {: [! d3 \+ P! P胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; D% b; p5 ~. p19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

4 H; n! d% E! ?1 H1 gThe 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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' G1 q7 ?( C) |9 s+ j4 \He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
+ |0 X% v4 o9 ^2 I. f, @! L6 {billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗