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。

4 j7 N  ?: N: s, p0 M# qShe 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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& h' J& ~# y+ C* _7 t/ J* c动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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0 Q% O# c5 e- l- [& Q- w* }/ l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

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

+ G+ r2 W, E' R) W- E2. 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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/ V4 X8 a1 W6 D4 z  j; {- Q/ Mrefuse 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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+ _! _1 q4 u" rIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

7 x  Y9 ^6 f: [& o0 R4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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- r; u+ A- ]8 O# @! N( UHe 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.

* e/ ]! l" j: o+ g' X% |$ p5. 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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The 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.

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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* z8 o$ h' h$ L0 a( rHe 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。

% I, F! u6 g4 HThis 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.
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1 x2 n% P% A9 \# q9 X8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

" A/ q8 N, h0 U( Z" w( O# z2 z7 KIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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/ @0 z$ s0 w9 y5 _# l* X  r名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

9 y- d( ^% r; h/ adeserve 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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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.”

' W3 C, Z; _) g" M' b天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

% {8 ?* W% Y% u; |10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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9 M# \5 e$ \- C3 b0 u7 u( J& BHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

  c4 i, p' a$ D! N4 F: P) `% v画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) C6 r0 S9 g9 ?+ f0 \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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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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3 x7 ?' C: A* I  q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

- E8 j- C& [1 t+ I$ z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。

! A9 f! o; ]5 j. f! rWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

' X5 y2 o. j1 r+ u' C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.

4 g+ o# K4 P! M" g" a  e1 r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。
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. c3 z; v* H5 B9 ZA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

8 F6 i& I) |1 P  \/ _  k16. “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.

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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- ]0 ?- J% f, `借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

+ b. k/ \0 A" G' G8 I  R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。

4 H( @: G  Y! I- }! f+ k' L! U# W8 MI 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 e& z& J- z. \4 f18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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+ A$ F1 g- D( A3 R* D" W, PHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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# w+ o% J6 Q) H胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

! |) C2 B* ]; h& H+ h19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

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.

4 |& A; u# P  J+ F+ w) ^/ S" t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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& n" k; Q3 D$ O+ J% c7 yHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 t+ c% p& R! N3 T% z( c: g& Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

4 {) b- S, x! L3 v, h上周日中午你去大统华了吗