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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

; B$ h- W7 O2 e4 n$ k! J7 \2 y动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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" u) o6 K' E  E+ e/ B) Y+ N动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

+ e! J' M% Y% k$ |$ Z2 b他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

2 R$ v9 q. h0 w8 |/ u4 d( I刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

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;
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. L& h6 w* L/ z3 T8 }+ _$ B; R7 Nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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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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; G' I9 d1 N$ _9 fHe 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 W; c" [  l& w! t5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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1 d/ J7 S+ K5 O" D5 {: S8 P# ^The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

( n0 @0 r9 I2 v# ZThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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: ~8 q! b9 b/ _$ `9 T/ `( nIf 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.
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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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& W5 k# `  O( f; l# P* x' u. f5 oHe 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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# ~# N  E9 ?/ Q3 H4 ^张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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5 Y0 |. m! Z0 v3 v' j* d/ pIt’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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. z3 N2 i( N: A5 s7 W! rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

$ a& F. a5 x0 x) j: u; v+ ]' Alive 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。”

: V5 _4 i) [! P' h% c, U/ hMy 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.”

) k. H: n3 z3 F0 ]9 U8 W天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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4 y6 s6 p, D9 J; K5 A( a10. 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’.”

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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/ F+ I) I" z: _" j2 ~4 YTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

$ a9 O& o( _8 @# p) W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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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# _4 V  ^$ i. F3 p( H; g/ E' OAll good things must come to end.
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8 s! L! U1 Y) `0 p* B1 O( gAll feasts must come to an end.

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.

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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( a2 B0 R! B# q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

, e" ^4 c* q7 e14. 江山易改，本性难移。

3 b6 G' x) W9 w1 ?, v9 N, @A leopard can’t change its spots.
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( p) M6 A& o3 t+ t2 ]江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

, }6 O8 q7 d$ e8 X% G% h15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A 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。

( V# W: c! g0 FTalk 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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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

& f/ n% V  |7 K# p17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

5 I" Y5 o! [1 Z1 a  C5 J; `I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

; |8 y9 X$ S  o- `9 H哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

9 w0 F* Q) V; B( o/ v5 I18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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! d) T" B5 T2 L: g3 W3 n( S# U4 ^He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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9 ^' H& L- D1 l9 I: j  Y# ~19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

2 \" T8 `' d. i+ m# D# d! a1 p* ZThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. Y6 J* x) j/ f; F/ bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
, v: |. C+ L" n9 n4 j: D2 Kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ w. u3 g( A6 N' e5 w1 x上周日中午你去大统华了吗