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.
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' K" e8 Y2 e. U! s5 Z- lShe 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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7 x( H0 u# i1 j( e$ y动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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4 k( r  z# M' {' Q3 Z9 u! q! R  i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

. v7 m- I  M6 S% b% r5 L0 W2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

3 O+ s/ M# Q! G- K4 S& j$ ^0 jHe 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

/ y" d% y3 E9 n3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, ~6 d" p3 p7 U8 {( I3 b9 YIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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5 a  C7 |  m  Z/ A: \4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

2 t) s# K0 u/ O3 \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.

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.

8 Y! n6 U0 B% {7 w* Y' [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 K! }3 A' ~  d" N) k. e: h% l# k6. 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.

# p) D: O; b  j6 t- Z% n0 P7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

7 {6 s( C( i9 {5 c. v1 ^9 TThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

! E; `& A& \% L/ M( w) W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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( N6 L' ]4 {3 G! l' t7 @/ d+ v1 EIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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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。”
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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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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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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4 [9 H' p& k* X0 v画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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! h& A" Q- K, Q11. 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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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.

$ G8 E0 w/ R) F3 m$ _7 y3 ?0 v- W" v12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

- e( [7 W0 `$ U# b! `All good things must come to end.
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* g. C' r" R8 i3 G; [" p$ tAll 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

5 @) F& Q) H% g0 rWith 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.

$ {# o" p2 @) S% K$ i14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.
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5 P" m7 ~0 X3 K% z/ o15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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* @8 g2 M3 H9 `5 x/ ^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。

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.

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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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. }$ d& w% S8 {8 a17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

; W' L2 c6 p" ~/ M; P  H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。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。
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4 f8 V( i- ]8 ^: j/ ?8 B. cThe 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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/ ?/ F2 e7 k6 ~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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% d4 p0 s$ o& G  ]& CHe 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

/ o- U3 U. ~3 C2 g* n上周日中午你去大统华了吗