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。

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.
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/ m; f! U% B  b  |动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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: g% d1 S9 @( ^- z2 d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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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  n  s& _& ^" ]- Q1 [7 {# x/ M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 a+ F- O7 w5 I5. 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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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He 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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9 a- d/ c9 Z1 q8 D7 Z) E. @This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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7 f4 S6 D# }+ k) s& k% \" y# L# T, ~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 j% p" s9 G9 f9 S8. 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;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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0 _$ T8 I( l' b* q; V天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

( s# m% H9 v  L  ]" I, J( l4 XHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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* N5 q5 b0 y0 U$ Y' W, u& Z' {8 K- F画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

; E# J# T+ ?+ x3 ?) g; E$ k11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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9 P5 B& C: i* p1 bTom 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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( L+ b  `4 N4 O0 X+ }) w' b% O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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5 Z+ {/ o, i8 k7 l- x" g12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& {3 `% F( q2 vAll good things must come to end.

4 j6 U6 H8 s" QAll 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.

9 G* B0 F5 ?" a+ j# 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.
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+ @3 B; {& L+ r% h扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

) q/ y; Z: O3 c; a# z14. 江山易改，本性难移。

8 ^5 {7 C% `0 w5 J) @A leopard can’t change its spots.

6 i- S2 k; h$ ^( }3 [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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' Q0 `: W4 i. c- [/ NA 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.

9 w/ J2 d: Y  O% n$ a1 T5 X% h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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

& ?# g, p; r& e) u) U6 A% b煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

8 X6 e0 n- D: ~3 u6 P* mI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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, M$ O4 K2 S" a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。

3 I2 M! |) r( j6 K/ o* R2 i  rHe 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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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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/ W% o3 L6 {6 L8 T1 L: L4 Y9 NThe 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

* Y  G' v% Q2 ^" E20. 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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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

9 P8 @# r) e+ B1 H上周日中午你去大统华了吗