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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She 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.

7 i' T& K2 O' w动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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

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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/ d, q3 {1 z: `! e& o* ?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.

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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  r# l8 o3 P$ |; o. P  d# }: |refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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' U: N2 y. n. t/ I3. 十年树木，百年树人。

4 ^9 i- R: p5 W% Y3 K& gIt 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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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# c4 r0 D. w6 j4 H, T+ T5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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0 X7 z* O$ A. m  S' E4 l/ I  L# KThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

3 T- M1 M: |+ s/ [If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

/ p# j# P: n, M1 U& ~8 A" f4 J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.

, F9 e9 [3 }. M- W# {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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' w2 j8 D" k; ~+ fHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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6 ^! p$ ~+ `6 N7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

7 L0 C2 i+ P% X% R) h+ W" p9 |" eThis 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.

! p/ _3 y2 \& }5 J& c  u& w8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

2 K) f6 s1 F- l" S' xlive 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 J/ @9 \8 p* g1 s6 a0 O- \2 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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

# M; i' U- I4 {% Y/ t1 L10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

- H4 Z/ {2 ^3 OHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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3 D: T; h# Y+ ]0 q5 F( G# Z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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- V+ @' U6 A7 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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

6 i4 Q  d0 n. ^; l( v* w+ Z$ R& MAll 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

- p3 Z: J# i* \* S: r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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- l: |5 n+ E# y9 CA leopard can’t change its spots.

" H4 c# `/ [1 j, q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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& p% s/ M2 R$ K9 \* M2 u15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

+ r$ Q9 U( O$ K" e/ ~8 X# C3 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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Talk 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.

1 A0 r  Q# j) o. {; K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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/ u; t" e; y" d, u  Z9 ^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。
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9 A  O! h, N7 _  G  w. Q+ GI 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

8 `& l; _& X: X" o& I7 c$ _18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

; a3 b6 U7 E/ s; _5 Y7 Y4 }; YHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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- c% p1 M% w, Q* y$ j3 E  ~* M3 _胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* z, Y+ D+ Y* ~6 D# e0 Z! |7 f19. 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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7 n/ D& V% P  T+ G/ W3 @+ Z( mThe 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

, i5 X, E3 A/ L& {- _9 z2 J7 U$ v20. 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!
& Q# s7 g/ L+ h/ G5 t% u, ^billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) y8 i! \% j' S' _+ R+ i  B上周日中午你去大统华了吗