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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" B# ~6 Y$ ~5 W5 b& e  Z5 YShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

# y. n/ l+ g' v$ @动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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  k7 S9 z8 M5 I/ t# a动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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8 G" E; }: F1 X5 m9 I1 d4 h/ u他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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& T$ F. ~- Y8 q. F, U! b2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

" W' N! U* M6 T4 P2 ]% P7 h& }  ~4 `He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

3 O6 @9 H/ t5 J: C+ J* i1 m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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: j! S( I$ f0 s8 i3 `% `! _3. 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.
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6 z  }' Z3 y$ V: z* `' V3 U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

: @- ]# O$ q+ F8 X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

  s) p7 V/ P4 C# }* D2 y. f. f+ x* B$ vThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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3 Q1 D/ i9 y; r1 ?' XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If 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。
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) N0 L: h' ~- ?. CHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

  D5 [; C5 d* _3 n% x6 I* x* }9 CThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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' e/ @* j7 u) m7 fIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

& x+ k/ b% f( v9 {* w8 |% ydeserve the reputation one enjoys;

) S; s+ `7 g* J5 n# r2 b! f  nlive up to one’s reputation

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

% q2 p# q/ Z$ s( U+ e10. 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’.”

' P! u/ w2 R" U( e2 K+ o* e( _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。
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% Y5 M8 a6 @- XTom 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.

0 T2 Q+ z( C7 d9 }12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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# X0 o: r( b& ]+ _7 l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.
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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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

# Z7 n3 w$ {  Y- C2 K! R& p1 V14. 江山易改，本性难移。

0 M; v, S6 e" }# x0 NA leopard can’t change its spots.

( l5 [# a" \# p1 d, c- W4 y7 M( M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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8 Z8 D! L& L! h& v* O16. “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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9 Q* }$ t4 |0 z! h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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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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

' [5 z6 p+ R: C3 }; z; r+ p哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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7 z+ T* v- i* J8 Z. ?5 [$ f; j- {18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

1 b6 u( I6 X( f. n3 s$ L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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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; A9 Z2 e/ U, @  f1 nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

# \* [- D. F( k20. 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!
/ O0 T% m2 J2 w7 C# ]billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

; _2 n5 B8 t; s( s# N上周日中午你去大统华了吗