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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* b2 w. G% t. C* B+ G9 EShe 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

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

4 f; Y9 L6 S4 r/ e( E" m1 U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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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4 h$ ?( c2 \+ |- k& VHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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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7 t$ b" t% P6 a3 p$ X6 F3. 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.

; _9 z, R; j5 H& L* f4. 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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$ v4 o, L9 Q1 b8 Y. O: u  [9 N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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4 W' Z1 V& S" R+ m5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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; u" T# d9 k) m; L" _The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 ^% _9 b( ]1 o5 aIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

' z, w+ X" u" F" p8 L5 J4 a; l$ G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.

# ]4 a6 I% Q% Z0 h5 q3 \0 m- t6. 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.

5 H) q# ^' u/ J7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

0 h* S6 u( I5 }0 s# Q  z! bThis 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.
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9 s, P- e, Y  e) \1 d8. 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.

' g, |- J# M( y6 ]! l名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- c4 Z, x5 {2 @. Y( {1 h3 Vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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, ?+ Z$ c1 h' C4 g9. 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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* B- }# b' r. D' IHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

9 \# |- F) v) Q! O: \1 ]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.
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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.
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! z" u( m$ c* g. X) c/ K# I: y12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

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.

, M6 @* j  R) \& P6 `0 j13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

. o; F5 \- a) B5 Z5 f8 J. uWith 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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9 T+ w- n7 W7 S" a( [1 }$ L14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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/ Y0 w; E+ M  U+ 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.
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3 [1 N, J* }7 o. ]8 e15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 l& c& @$ |5 y2 E! }) w3 LA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

% |$ q+ j+ l0 j& ]/ J16. “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.

' p1 c, n8 a! \9 Q# E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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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8 d+ ~$ o5 _6 T) K* @* U哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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5 S8 W$ [! z( Y0 f18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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; T+ L' z" H' _: x0 r& l4 A2 _3 dHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

5 ?0 S! V) _" m" s- J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。

* d) c$ `- {3 D  [0 }2 Q% `The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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/ l" ?# ^( W# ]) J  o" D% kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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9 {! ~7 P7 p  }( a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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8 Q' z& [- f, j1 ~" C" Y" i+ C  g: J& nHe 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

, L/ z7 P' i2 L) W上周日中午你去大统华了吗