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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1 L7 H2 \. _) s9 E$ {; q' lShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

4 P, s( ^- ^# `& c. k; Z动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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# w' P  Z6 h: `& T3 O动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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8 b' y! X2 g4 S2 s2 g4 [动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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  f8 L" Y1 U- ^$ V- N# Y) k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。

: d2 t4 P7 _6 AHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* P0 r$ {  k) |, X6 R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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It 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。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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# R# F2 [9 r+ Q; p% w# R# @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.

$ c5 x6 q- C% L" ?, o$ ?: g$ {+ LThe 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.

6 F$ P6 {8 O& ?2 W* H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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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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.

& c- t" Y6 T) H( d5 m8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

5 ]. |! e! a  w9 v1 T$ U% N0 RIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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* A5 x2 L8 f* m8 G2 [; R, c# a名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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# |3 @/ ]. E. Y& flive 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。”
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! R- y8 A5 a' @) N( W) e) ~! RMy 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.”

5 ?1 G) O9 ~* ~天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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) H7 `1 K0 ^: N* d8 r4 V9 s10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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, x- @. }: ~" y* H; f$ z/ h/ w% zHe 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.

11. 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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2 c* v- a1 w. V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。

All good things must come to end.
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. D9 [6 ?, z* WAll 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。

; u6 q3 r; J/ f( [5 J4 p% C$ L+ V9 _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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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, z; v9 d5 r6 |8 s0 ~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 `$ W. G$ y$ ~# S15. 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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16. “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。

0 A, R- z* E0 c' {3 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.
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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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8 H7 \# x4 l; V+ q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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0 K! _/ h  O; s& d17. 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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3 ~8 d; P% i. \; }  THe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

" |8 J/ N. h, E- x! U+ o胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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) j/ ]2 ~# I  R) G7 N5 k19. 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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4 d2 r, z+ p5 R. A8 N) I, vThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

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
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5 E0 `/ T6 v  P20. 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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$ b& M' w2 a6 L' L) ]He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
& P2 X7 ^  e0 w' ^; E# G( b( Rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

  K* v) I3 x/ L0 n' J上周日中午你去大统华了吗