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.

3 D0 f, Y4 Y$ }0 n9 wShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 d% d3 \7 a. t: Y" b: P- F动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

$ \, W* k- v: t) W/ G0 {动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

! G' V7 |" U" ?) W6 x3 J5 s; |8 LHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

3 b- \' i* x. |9 A! U* M不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. Z% C: i7 B' L6 z- Z( j( SIt 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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& v7 o5 d: l+ V% HHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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; `; g  C! X/ D$ {石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

/ y9 Q3 X/ I( u# Y5. 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. U) r2 U, [& C2 G# ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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7 Q+ U* a3 g: K. |! P0 f" a' v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.

* t% E1 x6 O3 }3 V) q  E6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

8 q6 `, l% M; nHe 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.

9 t: {( F  B: H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。

1 H3 Y9 g1 `  h, f* C) m2 RIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

. u+ |- h# }6 i) B名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

% V0 s) a5 m6 L, W4 F' l9. 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.”

" ~6 m8 c& S& w0 S0 C天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

' `: W  \3 z3 i: V% b3 j: z10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

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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7 X; T$ O; p# I; y/ i5 Y) I" A11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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3 K1 k6 [3 z6 V" a6 K5 e4 b2 _Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" d$ P4 Q2 r/ _% K' M1 s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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: I. o, o+ Y7 j! n0 D* [3 x0 `All feasts must come to an end.

# k: U+ U5 t. R0 M8 \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。

& c( b, Q' w5 p- u+ Y, ^: Z3 jWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

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。
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% A; t4 i+ O1 A! pA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

0 h0 }8 k- z; Y( h16. “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。

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.

8 A9 B% P8 C) y8 `% V; e6 j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.

( e$ I# T% o  f1 k& V' H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

1 J: Q+ h. O. @0 F2 N17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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9 U2 J1 l8 w7 N5 ]5 E4 jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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, Q+ n% O0 H: U2 b& q, Y9 z; k3 V哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

) m% e/ c/ a3 M! s) N18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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" I0 v2 P, p- x' V6 W+ gHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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% G  f% t2 j/ |1 A19. 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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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.

" W* z9 [# x0 {: p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。

* G1 M; [  x9 A5 X: `/ vHe 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

( Z2 j% {, ^; O& J/ p* J8 O9 \上周日中午你去大统华了吗