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.

( D% Q* K5 B0 P& L' s( K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

: [- G  m0 @' f" _" {; A- B+ l) j动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

" \0 D/ Q/ G  H2 W% B: _动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

, F' Y7 f6 N" h" K  b3 |他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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1 d, y6 Z4 }, Q( i' |) G2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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2 x4 D7 m7 g2 n8 W7 h8 S' O' `/ pHe 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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- A8 d" ~+ F% B. l3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- [9 j: R! U2 e* }2 C: ?. RIt 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。

He 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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' d( R  V$ d; ~3 C# R3 G4 A5. 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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! q/ D4 q" Q) X* @0 H% p' zThe 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.

) G/ K$ v2 _0 O. I3 M7 c; d6. 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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/ S& c" G5 x5 Q  @% j4 |7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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' U' A7 n9 m" {& Y6 K5 BThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

6 w- e2 N3 c$ o$ x- k, @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 x& Q! [* l4 O9 b. j6 f0 E* h& t, U8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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1 \8 R$ m9 @$ F, Y. D. w1 a4 e% O' ~: kIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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& w0 I4 K+ O  O, i0 c* K名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ d% A" [1 j& Q. m! D4 ]* ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

( y" E/ c4 x  ~% Q" M7 i% Hlive up to one’s reputation

+ Q3 R+ P  r9 J9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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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. `$ h1 Z4 ^+ u' M. c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”。

He 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.
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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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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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8 ]. ]! M4 E, t- F& C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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3 r" T1 n3 ~' I12. 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.

: g5 ]7 B$ W! C! w) M13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 r/ i  ^: ?& r  RWith 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.

14. 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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8 _! p2 M9 h* P/ o5 C( x15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

! j; U$ Z- _6 s6 y! R( q8 m- B16. “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.
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" M# m. \% u. F% w, t, r) _4 S煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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1 M2 G- p* b& O) h: U哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

+ x) S8 x$ A. @He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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* h0 ?* J/ D: a, G6 a) K胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, X+ ?- Q( Z: y% S3 {- k0 \9 m19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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* g. y0 K' I) Z4 p9 X  DThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

" A" A2 g, |3 O5 W; Z6 C. l8 q+ q% |扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

$ i# ?' O+ T" u. B$ K20. 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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5 a- J) i% Y0 t, nHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
/ L4 l! A% p+ nbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗