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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

" v+ X, M* n5 x7 \1 H6 D2 V% _) \动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

6 Q7 o4 g) _; m8 ?动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

+ h* F. N7 r0 r6 C5 C4 l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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He 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

# H' i+ q& t% P, A! W3. 十年树木，百年树人。

1 N- ~0 X; e: N7 g" z5 eIt 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。

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.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

+ d6 ]* P; @  \) |+ f/ m2 eThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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1 t% o/ A# F( gThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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; M8 G' o$ r, |$ \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.

2 f2 m1 d1 U+ W; G6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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+ V" c2 R8 ^# Y: jHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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$ v5 k6 M' J) M+ v- Q8 T7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This 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.
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& o* S0 }7 u2 b  G2 M8. 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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5 p6 }- j" _$ N2 e名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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。”

. \* a- c& I& AMy 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.”

* ^7 z. y" w0 F  |7 u& m, O天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

7 I/ L9 b5 s# I9 q10. 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’.”
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9 ~2 Z, Z2 l. Z; D画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

) B; m) _  o3 g6 N+ M4 q/ c) N8 f$ Q11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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6 r6 T. l8 p% _: ?) X1 |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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0 y  I; Y/ W, n( m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.
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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

( w6 z& c, V, Y4 n+ |, w) q6 ~All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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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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: ?: }" H3 m3 N) N+ y' {扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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6 |6 P- w( i& i14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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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3 ]" Y3 }: F) Q8 x' r# K8 W15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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7 W. T( A+ j8 Y( l. hA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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2 O# \6 f# E% B16. “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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3 Y* o4 I4 j- c: i& Q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
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6 x2 l8 |" J  r7 t7 ?. t. P17. 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.

8 b9 g- b& L9 [: H哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

6 `0 p0 e# u/ z  h18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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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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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) K' Q% @  I( a5 Z7 hThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

& G$ Y  V/ w% g: pThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

. u; M6 ~9 R/ A7 V) r+ ]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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# c- j1 f# @2 Ibillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) H. B! R7 ?% r上周日中午你去大统华了吗