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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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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# g: E! y% T& g3 Z3 ]2 T" _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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  C0 e6 T) @8 ]0 S6 ?5 B他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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  D7 o$ u" @7 z9 M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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

1 Y4 ^. E9 q- T3 F( m! s0 KIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

5 R8 c( x3 s4 o1 ~# ?4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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+ z- y. p2 J/ RHe 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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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: \2 o9 [9 g7 G& NThe 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.
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7 n% {- S; |9 P+ w+ ~! tIf 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.

) t. l/ ?0 O. C& q6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

' ~2 g: x8 L1 o7 SHe 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。

0 H% ~' g  T) d8 T6 dThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

/ V/ `; h- }' i, r0 d6 O张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

4 R! z# m( q: e3 a. h8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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! D+ z4 r/ y1 U: l- `; K$ B" RIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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! }# k" h6 R- m$ e' \; ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

8 F! Y3 Z2 O! r( p- Q* Zlive up to one’s reputation

- ~, q9 S2 P0 ^9 m( A( ~& a. X9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

! T+ d+ W8 X7 Q% t" |6 bMy 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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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”。

) w! |: {3 U1 r- g* ^3 R' `+ e- gHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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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9 K* H: m9 P# s& 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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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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, s7 k& z  l# B5 B( Z" x12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

  X/ D3 s. I& F. t( 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.
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9 \% M$ H! g+ n- i; F13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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, i$ ^1 B" o& V8 t& n: nWith 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.
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6 }' ]4 m- P1 y, O14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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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3 R( R  ~( Y3 L5 W15. 吃一堑，长一智。

1 |3 ~3 b* u( H, RA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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9 g# P5 D" |1 k6 G& w9 k16. “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.

* x$ l8 V, b* U; x+ o0 p( N2 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.
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% ?5 {- G, z3 e& e& r# w0 q2 W借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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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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  H* y) s1 o3 L% pI 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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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" d% Q0 m& _; b5 q2 N* L3 Y: kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) X, r: N+ R1 ^9 q扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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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9 V# K& X  @+ o0 c7 `( H; pHe 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

3 h& P  W4 k6 i# I' a0 r上周日中午你去大统华了吗