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.

7 G& O/ L! d4 h! i) EShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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. g; O4 n; [. d$ b: j+ h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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: P. t% z# F' ?  A  Z/ D# ~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

$ Y/ t6 }( a! p& l6 ]: {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

- Y5 u& \1 m2 R; w4 l/ J- D: _2. 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.

. y: V+ I/ B4 S4 E- q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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- ~4 D, R! s3 \- M6 I& e/ i* Grefuse to give up until all hope is gone

+ k$ _- A: p6 o# M5 F* {3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; N/ x2 u, a8 m- F% kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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& g! v7 Q9 k9 E2 R; ^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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7 ]# f% H+ p0 X. n石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

. U# w( s4 b& g; I2 _0 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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' L% L# Y( y- L% N$ H! q( KThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

9 |+ C# |- e) k$ e; P( H& sIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

; }% a; k, w9 ]# s7 |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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. e; @. S" Y* |6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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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6 O2 y' y) A% U1 e1 _4 mThis 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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

* H* u! g; `% V+ ]$ D2 v4 aIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- k. a  M- T/ p6 h, r8 b) B8 vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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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& K/ r- |6 Y8 m( D# \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.
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7 X& x% b2 Z$ ~& E3 U$ h10. 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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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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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.

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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All good things must come to end.
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1 ?3 G/ [9 o3 c  y# ]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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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8 u: Y5 c% w& P' W- B* @2 [" xWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

- F$ {, g" E  l+ ~  L! i- E, K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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! i. X0 v, O  [, tA leopard can’t change its spots.

2 h! S  z- l2 J2 z4 R) H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。

) a; X% i3 s! K: b9 ]& KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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8 N1 H! f5 v  f8 J7 k% z16. “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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0 m, Y3 L6 T/ ?4 d- Y% J3 yTalk 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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+ T3 d; ^9 y9 a: s2 J1 n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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

' @- O1 e, `2 W0 LI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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1 @3 D3 E: K4 e1 F# {0 ?, u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。

$ u5 \) X& k) M3 f. d* `" t- PHe 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

+ y0 \- A8 e1 _6 Y& @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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" H  j- H5 T7 A% z0 o$ [- z2 _The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

7 p& O: N9 u2 X6 H0 wThe 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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; q( ?8 [: h" lHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% B5 @! {  q  P% q4 a  V6 v9 Y* `( e8 qbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

7 f* ?8 e  \$ ]+ |; G上周日中午你去大统华了吗