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。

! {  m) i; H4 J! ZShe 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.
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- [1 Z; e' [- h7 c1 i7 t2 R动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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, ^' S3 f& I7 W动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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$ A" k% \. L2 c' c4 y. v3 _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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; z( }; ]0 C- |* y: i. \0 D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。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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2 g+ c& d& G. I0 q" n5 M不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

' F+ f8 f: e$ {! n2 Prefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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1 Z* I3 C! g* _' |- ?4 p, D3. 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.

0 z9 k9 k+ A8 v0 S) ]4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

9 S7 j# s4 n' e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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The 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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2 c" I+ a7 U1 G+ f( T- jIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

- h9 }) ^+ E# D. Y& v- U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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$ o; K5 K6 _" |, |7 `$ f  @: c6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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  U' E4 X& _2 X/ @+ g( d$ EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 Z* r. x2 v& ]  WThis 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.
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8. 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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: w3 c8 p% v$ l6 J4 h名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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2 ?: C; }( C' I3 P! m) 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。”
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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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# x* Q& E, u  E; C3 g! U天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

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’.”

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。

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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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。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

# Q4 X4 n( n  ]# t8 [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。

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.

% g1 n7 j' K& ?0 m) B) c14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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: K6 t& N! @# e6 X) K5 P, cA leopard can’t change its spots.
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# k& t9 h' Q; l江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

' H- ]0 y; h2 {2 ^8 T2 ]15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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5 u' {& X9 i- w* \- p1 W4 @) }A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

. t" p; W$ l9 h2 N: B6 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.
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3 _  ^! G/ |/ x1 q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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" m" m: \- x3 @  h9 `2 V# b8 O& C借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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' A$ O0 q- z8 p8 ~0 G煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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2 W, ?- L; z$ @17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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# O$ ?6 `  i8 f( \: w9 `% N' v5 i/ hI 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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7 m9 h5 `- I6 Q; Y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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.

8 B4 d( d' t: p; WThe 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。

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

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
7 \8 C, l1 @, X) U9 `4 U( ~2 f9 [* ^billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗