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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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; B2 }4 C* \# A" u- g, h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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
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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

, g$ r4 e6 K/ J- A$ V* s8 w2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

: u3 Z* X. f* sHe 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;
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2 w; s/ u  `# W5 O& Y1 {refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

9 x) h% U! G* K/ f, `* K) aIt 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。
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3 a2 A3 J8 q: s' Z+ C# W/ rHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

! P6 L; a6 I6 O- g7 L! @: d" C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。

: O+ e) W$ j! fThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

; _3 n5 |! l5 V" v* xThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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) ^) [8 d9 m' n+ k7 _$ QIf 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.

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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1 ^& D* ~* {0 b/ t' KHe 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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8 r2 K  Z6 k, x张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

& I1 H& T5 E8 H% z- o2 g" _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

$ p  q* I1 K, _8 xIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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3 Y6 X, }" ?* l7 h, v7 @! X2 odeserve the reputation one enjoys;

! T4 W. }- |' S! O) U3 H0 D) P# dlive 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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! C1 z- A  q0 V- vMy 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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# e% h; e3 v3 i6 X9 X10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

3 }2 c8 J7 e# ?& F( q+ [He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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$ d- G7 Y: N6 w画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

. z" a: s, T7 X) l. _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.

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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# {4 g0 u; |$ y" o# s2 \5 P3 u12. 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.
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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.

" Y" O; T0 M; L- V% L. R13. 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.

) j5 v& |; C4 q2 s) ~& @/ c- e扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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$ v- S! w( w  P1 n  ^$ @) \$ Z: z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

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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% t! t' Z4 f" u15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

0 y! {, U; \. A16. “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.
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  U. B% P0 M7 w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.

+ _9 o6 @3 {/ m; Z/ W  w9 [  J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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$ t* _( T! Y' r  G4 u1 ]17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

5 A; i/ m. o) {, O9 V3 k) bI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

5 W2 ~$ W* }1 R, Z: Z& q哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

+ k2 w; Q3 B: ]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.

& M1 ~$ ?( \8 j; }5 P( R3 F" u& d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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( }+ i, i) I1 ^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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0 l2 N* g" i% V- T$ U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。
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( g* U0 k# j$ W# m9 F, ]8 GHe 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

6 h  P, X. T1 Q& R* I; f上周日中午你去大统华了吗