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.

She 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
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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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7 R! U, b5 A5 N" U% N& Z$ w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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- k  m4 s3 x$ }) wHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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) y) O) R, x3 ?( O0 K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

; h1 d! z; Y( l3 H. i3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

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.

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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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0 q& z& Z, H, v" VThe 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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$ ?2 ]$ a3 Q& X) o9 E9 u) d2 P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.

' e2 @4 |8 Z- P1 n+ b, o: M- P- R6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

* ~7 R* \0 f, {* ^6 o  ]7 uHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

: \5 L- s7 d7 g6 W# `- u: O7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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 s6 R1 Q- S4 i1 z4 e+ I3 V- Y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

6 n) j. Z% J1 i, u$ `- a: B6 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.”

, l2 ]& d6 d0 h: S+ [天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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7 b; w: {3 C+ {. f& g6 X10. 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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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; I7 r& s5 ^& {" ]3 j: ~5 w11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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/ Q% y3 z1 R5 T) @All good things must come to end.
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! E' H# j0 K- W3 hAll feasts must come to an end.

7 Q( i7 l" J) a/ ?4 L# \( q8 l" I+ `- c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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

% I% s7 A3 I5 m* N1 ?A leopard can’t change its spots.

1 t! I! \; g2 F1 G1 ]" 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

/ C9 W; b2 H4 m  C. S3 I2 G' f16. “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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! Z  y' h/ E3 D3 d' 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.

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.

. L. ^" M/ S; N5 J3 p6 m, s& v0 r5 K3 ^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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

) n# I# l! P( O. |1 d% U胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

# t' c) v2 c6 \# ~9 R& w19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

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.
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9 ^! U3 C9 h+ j2 q/ h5 X, N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!
" w) p0 \8 {$ _8 a; S: B- Fbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗