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。

( l0 @/ O+ \) y* R' mShe 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.

  v8 l$ Q; |' Y9 E4 c动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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. l% v# d, l: L& p& Y! b' p动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

' k; ?/ e* ?( w) @$ g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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2. 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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. x4 |1 f" W" s1 r4 {refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

6 v2 E9 W/ a! D  Q- h# T$ aIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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4 h+ L% @0 [  c9 I/ UHe 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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% ^0 F/ x" k8 d- T, E6 O1 {5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

! N9 O% V  X" F+ S/ v: b, a: jThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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; `0 S* Y+ M3 x# @The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. Y8 M% R. q5 u7 dIf 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。

& k+ k2 c1 S, A4 }2 PHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 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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5 T3 Q% E$ p% @  N$ M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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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% H8 m! S1 Q( A& z4 _  M) d6 f4 ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ w- A" |" v9 f! v名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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; s4 y2 T4 y8 L# r6 }' U5 e3 Ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

- X) Y9 ?' L  ^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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4 P  t/ O; }2 V& O9 S) B4 S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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) L7 w7 l2 i# s! f$ `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.
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; t* `1 e, n& f  J% T11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

0 y9 Z1 b5 f$ y+ i* iTom 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.

7 C! D* R, g" V: e12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

9 Y& J: K1 f5 [. TAll good things must come to end.
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" A. b# n; n% R8 b" `' O) iAll feasts must come to an end.
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4 H* X: ]/ M2 ~9 X; j* j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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. W8 z( V' }- [2 ~. S( ]With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

; a# ?0 T3 z* J" l" c3 b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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1 h: [3 O# `. m3 MA leopard can’t change its spots.

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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

, R& B8 r$ I' d7 B4 ^: EA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

$ y. X( P+ V" D+ _" X) D0 _0 c- U16. “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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1 ]" Z7 {1 c( P* k3 n: @* wTalk 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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: b" c* r& `8 L3 d* K. ~1 {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

6 s  d# h) W* q17. 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.

9 a& u. b3 r) ^0 o& _  u$ ]* u; W哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

6 ]. _$ H# G% C; l18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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- D6 |, k- _3 d; D" m+ nHe 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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7 I1 Z. x9 |. n& G* y19. 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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& ^# O! G% N0 T$ l, mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

0 P1 W9 q0 }5 F2 j" rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

& S6 P' D% w( E  l$ z. v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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗