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。

0 j3 K8 F9 t$ {4 s1 [; [$ }$ ^$ PShe 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.

4 C; D: e% r( Y. f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

7 J# \" x  M* j动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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9 A. T# h, y  M5 C动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

. b! m( U: ?) ?/ e$ ?他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

5 T1 a. @1 W8 S/ i% x刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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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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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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: e, ?4 o2 _4 @1 u0 W" Y, @refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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/ I5 O& |$ X  {2 m" j3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It 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。

# ]# Z  x+ t8 w# X, MHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

. W1 O+ o) g3 V+ g5 b( v* HThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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5 Y- y* B. A) R0 VThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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0 ?$ i7 E6 [( J4 I3 Z9 W* y/ VIf 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.
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9 t% t- N# \! a$ a! F6. 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.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

1 @* ^/ f6 w- R6 `This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

* V* P+ ]2 G! T: \5 u张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

: s$ F, @  S9 R: }9 S$ ~  k; G( p8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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: g3 Y1 P  d. w! [" p  i& D1 X0 [0 hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

. r+ y. \# n) T, V7 A1 {. Ilive 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。”

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.”

% o! x7 {. u2 [" T+ }" L% \' `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”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

! C: B) H! l# W! d% B& U- k; f( P画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

) {4 k# s0 f, x" z$ k6 }6 T9 \11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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7 D. n% B  h- C0 K. GTom 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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8 a; G$ ]( j0 \2 ~$ w& }$ V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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% a2 Z6 J: j. S# d9 a9 r12. 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.

3 w6 F- a9 o& ^5 e3 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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  e/ H8 N/ H9 D13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

' B, x7 J$ H; CWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

3 ^& J3 J7 s0 i$ d) ^# C2 S2 aA 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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4 ?" @2 g2 s; f6 b15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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。
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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.

" D2 T+ e2 s7 P% B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.
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# R) B: m  q+ N6 O4 p3 N煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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. [0 h6 q6 s# i' _: X2 L: v17. 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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+ [  J0 g9 `) i# D- a/ `1 m1 x. e6 @, d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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6 D4 v* j* n; O$ a2 \胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

* k6 _9 I. V; I! {The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# Q+ K# v7 G: e2 R' xThe 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

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。

# a, j' }/ B- U5 Y" C) ZHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; A9 u; I3 Q" A: C: S; Ubillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

  D9 |9 i* ]& \: \$ F! G上周日中午你去大统华了吗