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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% H/ l1 |. w. G& W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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  O+ g6 D! B4 y8 L. o! m( K0 W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。

2 s) U9 o2 n8 ?' ^' F1 UHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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0 {6 K% _8 m2 |, z( _& z" p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

- S; T6 K  i, M! ?3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; R3 J! M( b, {: `1 k4 a  U5 ~8 iIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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7 M+ v4 J1 H5 O) n/ G, N' e# \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.

1 S# ?3 m7 L$ g5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

1 c1 R' ?! f/ BThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

- G, D: p/ P3 S4 I. yIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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。

- ~( \, O3 f  T  L: bHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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" }3 _+ G: T8 X& ?* ?7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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# d3 G! e) z* Z6 j" zThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

, v8 H2 E* u0 t# Q" c6 c1 x: zIt’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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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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3 [) F3 v* L+ q& ?) alive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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6 x- V5 j/ m: S10. 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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* G/ H! x# t$ \9 p  a# w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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8 N6 |& r$ o  [: O2 p7 WTom 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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, C  Q3 h& o0 X2 ^12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

! y% [7 R' D- o; t# q6 e4 U( D, 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.
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& ^( t# i, ~4 o5 Z, g5 C13. 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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

, d- l" _: F& p3 |' G16. “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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; J3 G6 S: G3 J/ @% d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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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

3 U; q7 [7 n) b! {. {9 O17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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: K7 c* k( f9 R  h0 DI 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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+ ]0 ]  D4 f; m" h' F0 |18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

1 }; p2 z8 ^% S, L5 X" {$ C! ?- yHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

9 _+ R1 X% J+ q* B+ ?( q1 P3 E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。

0 A3 `! J+ v! ^% E4 n" HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

! e% Y; p$ r' N* Q( TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

  v! W* ]  O& {扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

/ B8 j/ l( b  N% V! ^0 {) [+ x+ @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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

4 F9 W! w1 p9 W) ~. |5 i上周日中午你去大统华了吗