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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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" a1 h( r& {: }, p  g' K& w* N动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

. [0 }) G, q* x) f2 ~/ ^动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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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.

3 y) d, x0 P: ]7 G8 T/ c刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

. R4 T& O- C: f) W. R$ l2 RHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

/ T, Y9 w0 x2 \* g( ^, l' o7 Y不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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0 o# i# P! f' k4 ~" ^1 x! {3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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5 n% \. |$ Z" u2 X/ }$ z7 d+ kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

. X% x' |' L$ q  e/ \- y' ~$ {4. 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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2 Z" \7 I( n0 J0 E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。

  _) k8 [) ~7 ^' cThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

) X. I/ [5 X! r* U* }; nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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; n  t& |( \% N- \If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

9 c# Z- W: R) }; g/ W+ W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 K5 ]1 X7 @8 d1 ~: n& ]4 V6. 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.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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1 @$ D; R; I0 E! ]4 X+ f: ZThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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' L4 u1 U' H1 f, g张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

, f5 Q- \9 e8 [: \# K8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

4 ?9 \' c7 Y1 F9 e3 Z  RIt’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;

live up to one’s reputation

3 _0 m- n" K. P1 k+ l9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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% u8 \7 \/ z: A7 y2 t3 e, x% fMy 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.

4 h0 h; n5 c$ B10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

9 g' {( ?- G8 e# L2 \He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。

& @6 N# O  T' `' j- _' h: ~, GTom 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.

+ O& L" I. E3 m0 I5 J12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  M+ {; o3 j* _All good things must come to end.

. q9 ^( B" n( _! U( [  {All feasts must come to an end.
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0 v5 a! G% Q: M" b' v- b. p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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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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, ~7 q3 m' n; X1 Z( \, O- ?扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

+ T# s; P- u) O$ A8 @3 ~14. 江山易改，本性难移。

  x7 \" F8 K5 yA leopard can’t change its spots.

" I7 \) y  A9 S8 C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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2 v; e; @% D9 R8 Q& t15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

% k/ z) Z5 Y1 ?* y8 e8 y: qTalk 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.

+ A$ b/ f. Q3 O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.

2 E  y5 q+ a, G9 d3 o* L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

1 C5 _7 j# D/ J2 Z* F  i9 s- `( \17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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* a+ O! Y: q3 Y) TI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

2 g: b8 C4 V9 J* ]3 f4 U* i; L9 _1 e1 _' [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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" f, F; Y5 C# ^5 U( q% l9 zHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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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7 H1 K7 h1 ]1 U. [. RThe 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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4 y3 y  N. ]& L# b3 q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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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

( m# K: ]3 z. U上周日中午你去大统华了吗