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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

' K( k8 l" E& q9 M+ BShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

2 T0 Q! C2 \8 {; ~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.

. L$ L; s0 _  k$ [; }1 J, Y) _* D刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

9 M: q5 E- v! x" _# A, f" `$ a2. 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.

0 u. ]+ [$ m* x0 c3 X: o: B不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

' }9 M+ x5 u; g' Z& Frefuse to give up until all hope is gone

% r& f! t1 p: \/ z3. 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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2 d/ S0 p/ C% g9 ^: J4. 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.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 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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) k2 T  u% _' eThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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- }/ W( C( m, w8 mIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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6 M" |1 `7 s, O2 x  J: z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。

He 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。

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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

1 B7 g' A0 J& w, Y8 q* A! u4 bIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

0 _' d( n2 X& e7 n9 O6 P; ~deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”
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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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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4 C2 Y0 J. {3 s- I4 d' ^* N10. 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’.”

0 X& Q9 t2 X2 j  `2 r2 ]7 u画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

) Z% h& g: O) ^6 B' I# P3 s, i11. 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 _2 r& w+ W* Y) O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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

4 U" [- l) m1 T4 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.

4 e0 |: s* @+ X' i& Z13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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; D! g' Q- {0 e/ Z: q; AWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

3 n1 T+ p$ `* F  g- j8 l8 n扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

* p8 t  b/ ^! B) oA leopard can’t change its spots.
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' J0 Z% m% k  g( s  r% Q  o江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

) E& e$ M) }( f3 a7 Y& v" E5 t" U15. 吃一堑，长一智。

+ J; Q" }1 U* mA 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。
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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.

8 P/ }- N* N& U' X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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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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' y3 w  S' _$ b; _. W* GI 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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7 w: K3 G; F, d: {! b* n; k& L18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

$ x# S# v- \6 Z0 e: s1 w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。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# I9 w" v, S9 z, r4 c4 gThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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4 R' m6 f" q# L, t扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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4 `2 r4 @6 D. E' l! u20. 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!
6 Q7 K) C9 h/ v7 B6 q+ Jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗