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。

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.

& n; H7 B9 b- N' S. w/ K+ G动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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) z0 x$ w$ D* ]. @  m% o: J/ m# W# G* B2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

/ F; i1 `( @5 V( N3 O' GHe 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;

  d/ Q* M! I) L7 F* X8 f& j# X3 l5 Vrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

# ~0 b* t, U- _' i1 x3. 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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1 C# G( s( P/ H1 D- r4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

, _5 D* u. S2 |. |He 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.

0 t+ W$ l! H# d$ b5 I5. 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.

, e) k: G* Q/ b& A# e& M4 t, @7 p) SThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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  L% Y* r  w$ Z! p& zIf 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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2 u. _1 t0 w/ w+ Z" F% ~6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

* J0 ?. [8 Q% U3 aHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

, @+ j6 m* R+ j. P  f% b5 o; _7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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/ s6 e! |' w& V* j, m# L. i7 EThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

+ U4 S9 K3 ~, a* t) Z/ |, C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。

# G5 m; o5 }: a" G" pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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* f+ p+ K+ t" }# b名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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# ]% Q6 j" c& z) D( sdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

6 f# j: m( Z* C* Ilive 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。”

6 H" @: i* {/ n% ^; ZMy 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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

( h* V; t4 e3 k画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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# A- p+ w9 Y4 o, `6 m! `% y: w11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

8 M; d* @$ m: JAll feasts must come to an end.

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。

# i. A" k0 x: r. pWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

1 ?( S( \/ z0 ~0 r14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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, J4 [# s+ O0 k# Z6 L6 dA 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.

" {6 T1 t* J: y, a" e* w15. 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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) q) Y* ?0 h. r16. “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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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

17. 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.
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/ n/ @$ t% ]' D! x% r0 i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。
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. H3 z0 i: z/ hHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* D& M) F# D% N; b/ X2 p19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

7 ?+ }# j" I0 N2 e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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9 `. O" f" I. iHe 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