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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/ B- `% B  H. o2 `& i) ~She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

" g3 B2 a& o7 N" X/ c8 ^1 w% ]6 `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

% f2 r4 F8 R$ n, Z. N- s动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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% b$ N( g/ n; m  v9 r刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

& \- h/ Y$ @! a: H$ e; K' t' P8 S2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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4 k& n$ u9 X8 s) |He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

1 s/ l0 O) B, m: l) Q5 j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

# D& E$ c" K; m2 R/ U) ~* G0 i3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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! T1 ?% H; f- D3 pIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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8 p- X7 ~) O: ], P4. 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.

3 Q3 w: l# o$ M) W石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

/ ?7 `% j0 {* E$ 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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7 L' B0 K3 K1 _2 f4 HIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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2 `/ h# J: P  N. E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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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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4 D! b7 Z9 q/ h3 UHe 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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8 U3 Z9 Q7 i0 Z; n8 Y% \This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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4 K0 m  i; Z3 B5 x* n# Q$ I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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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- |) @* m' j- g( y9 q名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

- [% w6 e$ {* S0 H+ f! ?# ]live up to one’s reputation

# Q* u9 H1 g- J5 E) |' H' d9. 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.”
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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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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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0 b4 ]6 V7 b$ J2 o' ]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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

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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( w/ }+ R2 x& X6 w12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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( ]" P- u5 j6 RAll 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.
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* z& n9 V7 i0 k9 G* S13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

% Y3 B$ M5 a# k6 S% ?8 V扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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' ?1 G/ S' I- A$ s# q7 R( H) ~9 l. s6 @14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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3 I* s, U& E0 @1 e; G7 g/ r" @8 kA 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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6 c% K, x: R- r% N! K$ M4 D' h/ b15. 吃一堑，长一智。

2 X  U) S' H( s' l' F/ AA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

) U* P/ h8 ]% M% S16. “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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/ S: E7 m! G$ E5 rTalk 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.

1 O; u5 }( b' m& ?% x/ l$ W# W借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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7 A+ r/ h# H- u煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# G8 A0 V: M4 A. T/ K# A6 b17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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$ [& a% m! a4 o胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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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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.
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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。

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

$ o% `, }) ?" B4 q上周日中午你去大统华了吗