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.

! i$ j! p' o- }% X4 MShe 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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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

' D# v8 @5 G7 O: {动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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9 r2 W+ d5 A9 R( k' r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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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  O3 j( Z) p' z- ~; THe 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

: S7 w1 n1 R1 r+ w3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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: m  S) q+ z  J  H; J8 ?% j4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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6 \! A  ~1 X: `8 D. l3 ^He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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( p4 I1 a; p  j8 X' s* r% 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。

+ M  E; r- ~, r9 p* vThe 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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" i9 e, Q  D6 @- FIf 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。

0 V; V, v4 V8 b+ EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

9 }- [! `+ V- k  R7 u7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

1 r: s  U# F# z. P. J张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

' m+ ]' {6 y' J5 e8. 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.
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2 g: Z* k/ N, Y4 b  v' p- Y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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( R' W6 `9 p1 \9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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( M0 W: a0 J1 R# D( F6 A9 oMy 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.”

) d% `3 A/ X9 {/ t天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

- Q. i9 p; d2 D; G; _% [10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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8 r' F1 y, H# S* P' PHe 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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* ^, [8 c: v3 U) `  F( ?3 {11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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& T/ G3 p$ y6 U$ Z/ FTom 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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3 e. {, U2 Q- X3 D) F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.

: D# H  y4 _3 k8 p% _7 o9 U9 ^12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

7 a% N% `& N+ JAll good things must come to end.
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" s; l% m% a6 m4 [% Y- a) ?9 c0 gAll feasts must come to an end.

7 \! ~2 C9 m2 j3 [3 i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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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$ j  e. y& d7 ^# C扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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8 A8 S4 k) T  k8 M. E" V14. 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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) H1 b# I/ u) F: S4 h/ P/ o$ D/ N16. “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.
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& H( `; S- k9 R+ E3 ^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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6 t/ L! U6 y3 I1 a! u借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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9 S& v% i9 h( e/ q煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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/ q1 |: R9 e- x, |# i: jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

  m! Z7 d' O# Y% o7 o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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# }( E4 X# }* H. pHe 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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- I) n' K: X. j: rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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) ^& U1 l) Z$ t# y+ wThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

/ s4 O* i1 [- H! J3 z扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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0 O1 r6 u5 _! l( q; b; I: Y# C20. 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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% A2 |6 y* P4 V3 ^- H0 L. _He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
- ^- F9 M9 h' Dbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗