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。

2 ^+ z8 W0 S- T* a1 O) ?. }She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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- J9 Y+ ]( B- V3 @' ]" ~9 ^She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

) r# O, F7 I; z2 f0 ~3 ~, m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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- r0 K8 {( \/ K0 A他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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# B1 v1 W4 _( h( h" \7 y刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

; ?0 E5 J- h5 w3 Q" R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

5 i* r/ r& B4 a9 L# H' t8 V. `3 JHe 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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2 B# }2 t* q9 O, D& |4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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) U$ x' B& S; [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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3 k! h* p( |# s+ v8 H9 \9 W5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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  L/ T0 H- c. H& nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

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.
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: E2 [. J: ]+ a( u- ^* \6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He 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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* v2 u3 r, r0 C9 S) X% g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。

) k0 Z( v- B" a; ~It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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  a( Y6 I6 b0 F& p5 C0 ~) M! y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve 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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6 _4 ?) n6 q* a0 f# F, h# i) l; LMy 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.”

: @, h9 g" [; o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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. M: c8 Y+ ^1 N) |8 |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。
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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.

$ P3 ]. v% a" _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.

* `- f- `( c1 ^+ A! N12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

7 V0 R& B# o+ D6 O9 J/ K+ ?All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

1 j. A# T/ I6 A, r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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13. 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.
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3 f- C% o9 B, B! s扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

' v1 |) b; I* j, r* y& A14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

" V  o7 ~+ @5 W7 s# [0 ]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。

2 W9 o  \/ _0 b9 V+ d1 YA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

16. “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.

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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4 |# r# U! W' T6 t% X" N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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

& e. {  r' i( w7 I- V4 Z7 J0 a, e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。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; c0 ~+ N& E5 Q0 x$ b3 h$ S/ e19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

# o6 \, W( d# ?) aThe 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

* M" x% ~$ }, t; N' ?+ ?& P20. 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。

. m/ m& I* ]; e7 ]8 E& \: MHe 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗