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.

8 s) g3 l+ Q9 q1 fShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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9 s) g* W8 Q) ]# D6 W$ E" p动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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9 P# I" t; R. b0 x! [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.

1 O# ^. u1 o% t( `' R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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2 v% g( c3 Q1 H/ b$ f4 y( [不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

: V/ }+ h& I3 trefuse 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。

0 o/ z/ K& R0 M$ V' c% XHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

( h' A0 M. f* N! o4 v, `% D. u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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

% e( }% T* q: q- K1 A1 L: O0 cThe 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.

7 s' f: Z; t; n5 ^& C6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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: [& \# b0 |3 @; i# L  d1 \4 mHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

% z2 K/ t4 q) T( e7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

6 `: ]& h2 w, V  L4 _$ ]8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

- c, b* k/ e/ g- x) hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

& l* ~+ O: G- m, ^% E' Udeserve 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。”

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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! G( r+ c0 c# _7 F天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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- G7 F2 f& C3 Q10. 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’.”
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, h" }' E# o0 T% x& F/ u7 v! D: ^6 X8 M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.
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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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, X) s: R8 |3 N2 M, A- M9 i12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

/ n4 t. S- a; w2 Y7 kAll good things must come to end.
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All 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.
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7 k8 R( J3 t1 Q4 }; h13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

# G$ [/ ~& b* s# h. k+ DWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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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' f& I- |& g" D  y5 Y) c1 F# F( |: N15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

* h& f8 V3 w7 i5 N- H  l( l; [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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  B% M/ U+ ~* h) @  y: M! sTalk 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.

" S/ }  s. F4 t. ?* n7 h8 \借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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) G6 z+ u2 o2 k17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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. m+ [4 A2 ~$ j9 bI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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 w) h1 n8 E6 ?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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

2 P4 }) P; r. K0 J9 [$ l6 k1 QThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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- ?: |( N: _- D) T0 U扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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7 V) f" P; g( J! e& q20. 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

! r9 e9 E! P' v" N7 }上周日中午你去大统华了吗