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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% f6 e* |1 v" |" Z% a/ V/ AShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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( w* H3 {0 {/ x$ @- C  {; b动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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7 W2 L2 ^% U! d) W  y1 h动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

6 x0 C5 [" e" w& t+ K' j* Z/ H+ l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.

$ ~5 w  s) F- ?) j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。

8 E  j7 q' Z- R2 _# N: u: iHe 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;

3 j5 g& ~- }9 {, a" k7 K  nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

/ r" _5 l3 g4 W3 z  I% K) c3. 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。
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- l; d+ q7 q+ Z  z- A. |/ _: aHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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* }8 W( @8 G( q5 _% }9 c5 W2 vThe 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.

9 H$ ?! O' u! ?( w5 f, Z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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! G( f9 Z6 S: q$ T: L4 b6. 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。

7 E9 L7 a6 u$ j; MThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

# ^5 Z9 R0 P4 T' C; k! 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.

6 A/ s& b9 N( z2 i4 g4 k  M8 m8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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; y; q/ n  z4 D. }- {名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

8 r/ X4 |8 Y. _# v# ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

; i  K1 R6 }' X9 `$ m( Hlive 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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' ]4 \9 T2 T* m7 q3 F9 NMy 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.

8 o6 [! ~7 F' U4 ]/ g* ?8 `  f4 i10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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+ i' T! M0 A# u, o5 d- n1 h画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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( c7 O4 b8 d. kTom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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4 x( E+ r& @1 z0 |. R) CAll good things must come to end.

1 {# N7 a* f! H8 YAll 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.

, e( d2 d  ]" |: o) i' V+ I7 E6 ~13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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5 `( ?9 a' v* z$ Q' N6 h0 D3 a, ]扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

8 N$ E9 ]& `1 V14. 江山易改，本性难移。

  Z3 K& r0 O8 |( A8 A. `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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7 u2 T; o  s. d( K15. 吃一堑，长一智。

  C7 n: I! F) V- r; u1 YA 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。

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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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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

' r6 e+ C9 G! g$ h; ^) M煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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! x* f6 I: I! |# t17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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' t9 K  N' ?' Q3 `$ I9 FI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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。

% N6 X- k, j- p* J0 j$ bHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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# z% L* K: {' t# u/ W3 Q胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* T6 D1 l7 ^3 Q19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

/ R0 `3 t. W" dThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

: s% G6 H+ {: ]/ @, }, [! A9 Z3 FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
/ P/ g( N# ^( M$ Bbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗