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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; Z: e- ^- G% Y# X) TShe 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.

2 q. ?4 j6 k7 E动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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: k& G0 }0 a* Q4 u, }3 n% B, F动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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( j8 A4 H) U$ `% G6 P" g* 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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

. \" u' r; Y; A/ a/ @: {* AHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

/ ?- J  j/ j" A. ^% F1 hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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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# L) `% o* Z9 i1 j9 M4. 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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% M7 D. N0 R+ K7 z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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4 V$ K  ^$ f6 z% v6 p6 T9 j1 C1 M! v* o5. 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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The 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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. I7 M! F0 x& ~- n5 I' y" 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.

  d8 U- ]% m% B6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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9 x' b+ c: D! `9 u# k( U" P( G9 lHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

2 H. @7 S' f: \( D. K0 ~, B& |5 R8 `7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 Q4 F# [1 [$ g, hThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

# U, t' J- D, c7 ?) C6 n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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" S. a7 W% V5 [8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

: h: |; N# X  c: YIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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  i2 V2 J1 i/ n- ^1 w2 {deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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+ v4 v6 h  I3 ?  ^: i/ E8 D9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”
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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’.”

( ^+ ~8 |/ T- M7 v3 ]! l4 K$ v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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- T- v- V; J9 uTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

+ G# G; R; i% C- 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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1 X8 _1 I" k3 o% S12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All 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.
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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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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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# o0 L# P. \# k/ z14. 江山易改，本性难移。

" |# l& ]- [4 D- HA leopard can’t change its spots.

' _1 p3 A! L  F' J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。
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) j. X9 G$ c% n* E) BA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

0 h: f* y6 f! @% m16. “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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6 f" x5 q" H* A0 f2 F7 m# S0 h3 STalk 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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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  H0 u4 K# s' m1 h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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

5 }: I0 C  y: J8 D! n18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

; I7 E1 k9 y1 A# |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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1 B. c$ {" ^! j; u' s19. 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.

7 w7 R' I) d0 `! Z1 vThe 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
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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!
9 ~6 u* v' D) Q! L; i$ n( F% Fbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗