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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5 R& v8 d0 b& e! [) Z+ ~She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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1 e( `- o: A. z- J, h4 i动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 S. e& W9 H$ [# `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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5 u0 |8 z6 S: B7 t, t他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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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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# {4 Q5 D% t# v9 a" m9 w不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

% i$ _6 J; {5 L2 }6 m% Erefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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5 }' z* |) E+ {' O3. 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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# D3 F' k$ Q% `' x( b4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

+ V( W: n5 B) i. N( m0 h* H, j5 O' WHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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) |. N# O9 z- O1 |8 s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。

2 T8 P8 L/ Q$ h3 V" UThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

# s4 x6 D  X! @$ q( Y: d3 d( uThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

1 i: z! g$ ?1 m& P* ?7 VIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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8 C( e4 a+ B6 Q) i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.

, ?5 ]7 @  l& _' L6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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5 Q' j, t5 I2 s: Z6 i: EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

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.

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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" o# k* [) l4 W" C$ h4 q5 t8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 w( G3 w, \8 z6 G9 klive 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。”

4 S; D7 n5 V1 [& _4 N% Z7 N7 zMy 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.”

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”。

: n2 o! H5 Y, ?, Z6 @& u: Y7 a8 mHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

3 b7 H9 u- g+ F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。

6 j, G- ]2 n6 dTom 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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3 k% p" c  r  P" R; ~7 S( i, z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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2 {8 i! p! ^; [; }7 p( P: U& m12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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( t1 H. c. {, k, H  R9 H0 g2 BAll good things must come to end.
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$ _9 G/ r, w2 B+ c5 ^All 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.

2 t, t* I1 T8 P: I+ k  I/ N13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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; K. C- R6 r1 V+ z  I7 tWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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* x1 b" T  s5 s% O0 `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

1 A2 s5 L/ b/ L) y* F; p* m14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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) ]% k* _0 M! S) \A leopard can’t change its spots.
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6 {3 [0 R$ Y3 k7 ^3 x( O8 i江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

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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5 c2 ?' [% P8 ?. e% d+ c' H0 j- S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.
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2 h( O) v. D7 k* c煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

! y4 B2 U+ d% H$ X17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

6 Y5 G' m: l# Z# |I 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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

* C6 a. e# I" I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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* v/ P9 Q9 b. s& h% x. i19. 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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, w. A5 @: y5 p. E/ A5 e& tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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5 M0 ]& {& B& L4 P+ N扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

' c+ f/ `; j9 D# B4 `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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( e8 A( X+ v/ c) M  `# XHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
2 g* B& L. x8 q- [' rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗