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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( g; M; E; h8 U3 t4 q/ X9 _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.
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2 I* ~7 o+ E8 s+ o动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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; _9 v, S0 x) `4 ^3 [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

0 j5 C% i0 h' b他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

- u( [  e* W% n8 o刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

, X% [2 g5 Y: y2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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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

% b; k" d) W% G+ o4 L) ^$ ?3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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

7 B% T. r/ s5 j7 `+ f% y/ o4. 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.

" f, o- U4 s0 e( F) `& ~6 G) H石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

( B# o7 V' J+ k0 G/ q) k9 p5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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- O& W$ Y" U# C0 p# A- G' X4 rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

: P" J) ^  T4 O- @0 FThe 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.

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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

* j9 L; `! W0 I; @! {; v4 XHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

& {3 m2 o# ^# N: J/ G7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

% n9 _$ u" b6 h* H8 b1 wThis 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. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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/ e* P( u- D" h+ Y$ sIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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9 F" l( C  Z' ~! C" w1 w2 Odeserve 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。”
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5 l6 i8 n/ v/ P; xMy 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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2 q( z2 p  n2 X% w. f8 w0 P天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

  M) F& O3 }1 b4 Y" E9 L10. 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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+ K4 @% D4 T" K; R1 A画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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" n" N. z( Q% ~  |) v* U8 B11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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! T- ^" l% R4 O% u) ^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.
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0 t. u9 @: e; g* c! G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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" Y8 A1 E4 V1 W& u8 t' FAll 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.
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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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

/ V& n6 D; H) {% U6 g0 x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。

4 N( S* j& C: V6 l" RA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

: P% G* F& @6 Y$ c( K2 A$ W( ~) C16. “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。

2 n: E! L; e3 O4 a5 U* B* m6 qTalk 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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6 m! a; Z2 Z0 t' S+ |+ |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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

0 U% t/ t5 X# |, y) d' t5 M17. 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.
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0 d$ g0 e  ^' v" z! V. d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.
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6 P; I: q1 y6 }. e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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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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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) E6 M/ J' J# z20. 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!
- H. f/ L) i$ J2 ~$ j# l. t( obillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

2 c' C& u: u9 K) G- m2 c上周日中午你去大统华了吗