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。

7 W( r: O! X+ \. K, A+ W. B' V% xShe 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.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

' _& h8 A, u; k* y0 ~* [动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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* c  [$ [- H1 _; e2 u7 W& ?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.

) x& N' d; o# {& w刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- A9 Z6 |9 Y2 F* _( ?He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 J* J4 K3 z1 p: {0 Y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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) b' _2 n0 m8 ?7 k3 u8 V" C7 urefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 v2 h0 n' g- N& T. Y3. 十年树木，百年树人。

( c6 z' c- [% g/ K! p/ F( f" {It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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7 V3 N  y. n* ^  Z* J4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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$ ^7 `! _: v5 R: Y8 O! BHe 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.
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2 E. w% k5 a0 z  P, M9 t! N5. 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.
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1 D! {3 E. }& I' [The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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: Y5 B1 y- W0 K( G& U# e1 H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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- ]8 d- s0 M! R9 a! b, c1 W6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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7 Y3 X, v4 Q+ W0 A* p- k) [$ vHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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( S% F4 X4 K6 N$ D0 h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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4 I) ]( M6 ^3 A9 ?! h. A8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’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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- Q0 H" D: V* n- f9 }7 n8 i% H. Wdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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7 f  U1 z7 T5 L9 {& J! R: R9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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1 c3 G$ \- E: b) x* n7 DMy 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.”

. \; @  ^, z# w天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

* J* p% x9 T/ f$ p) A10. 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’.”

6 _1 u/ ?. A+ ~5 T( J画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

4 _" s, V: u! j9 Z: }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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$ ~, e  L' R$ H12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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3 G4 u( s3 ~, E2 l2 rAll good things must come to end.
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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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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2 h* \0 `( H2 c$ a0 d8 A% pWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  U0 _5 v. A8 G# J* n: U扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

0 m" E0 P* P1 F9 A2 W4 ?2 `+ ~14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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: i8 d% ]8 X0 y: Q) k, QA leopard can’t change its spots.

6 l3 @) _  G" o7 `: D  R江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

9 e" u/ [5 A( t* n1 U/ [6 Y8 `6 k$ {15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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% M1 ]! y! B3 MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  ]% D3 n8 m- Y. K6 J( B. H( e16. “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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& f* w3 ^8 h: v/ \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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  Z' ?) [& `: @3 P; o; h. W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。

1 u; c& i" @6 O6 |. o3 z+ {: _I 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

5 ], V4 ?- u2 D2 d+ Q3 h, e1 l19. 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.

0 a9 P+ M, o- t* x, H扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

/ u6 X/ f5 _( x5 W* l20. 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。

He 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

$ c1 @; M/ {) R  q' k上周日中午你去大统华了吗