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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

) \7 z, o4 v1 x1 p: G! S+ R" |动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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, W$ N$ I! z$ D, k* \2 W) h! f动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

- w; v( `, b! Q: }+ c6 y% w刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

* r7 n# \6 J# Q, _1 I! f2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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3 g1 `! R- t  @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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: \5 T! e3 n! t0 ^( x5 x3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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9 Y! I; D6 u9 K$ qIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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8 K% x$ @) _5 N' ]% e; R: ]4 O4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

* A7 w+ [& ~8 {; b4 `* p) |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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3 g; o1 z8 K; T& a. h5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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$ E- o& E* |! a5 l3 H6 Z; eThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

0 g) V7 L. z1 x2 ~7 S6 lThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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7 h" n5 t1 E1 w; HIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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8 k- C" V% F9 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.

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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3 Q' C7 e% i# ?/ W, nHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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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.
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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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

' S2 L- x- Q5 d, c: L3 rIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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" Q+ S! g" i2 |0 ~  g: K4 vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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, l9 p. X& j$ ?* _) r- _4 r9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

/ G. J' ?5 @1 l% a) U" t* w6 F3 p6 }6 I天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) m, J3 X" H2 Z* s3 T2 H7 w11. 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.
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' L$ F5 d* j1 a12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& @) Z& N, c$ A- K2 bAll good things must come to end.
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1 z7 F. n' T% Z5 b* QAll feasts must come to an end.
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* u/ S$ j+ Z9 B6 E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.

% K0 ]- u% K9 E* H13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

# W2 ^6 [; s6 t7 C0 r2 |$ z% cWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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" @, Y; Y* C, T5 N( |' ]: X9 }7 k扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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1 B, a2 |- y; m7 y8 E/ @6 @! F3 z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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+ L+ {6 y8 f3 w  pA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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.
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0 h6 l$ Z# g  O5 Y16. “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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" O) a4 T9 n( 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.
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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.

! f. J! [/ {0 f借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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4 Y; v% D# E( X  L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。

$ o2 `' ]; _, UI 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
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6 }- o0 }6 V$ G18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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; U7 e3 l' L8 G! E% D9 i' d, zHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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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" [! l& B- f+ {, HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. _) ~# {, f7 HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

+ l+ k6 O& ]$ |( O上周日中午你去大统华了吗