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。

9 v, i8 ?- l$ `8 {% _0 RShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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: F  T0 B; F! E. q3 S: K2 V: g  {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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3 r/ U0 w- r5 R& Y4 r7 W& x6 R4 ^4 \动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

( z  @0 t6 ?8 n. x+ t动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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" e$ ?$ g5 w. |$ q( R  `他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

$ m  b2 ~) J( C4 e) ?* Z0 @) T刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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! @, }- Q: o7 t5 _) K3 s2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) i' P7 F4 S  c( A; g5 RHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

; y3 L. |/ I. j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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

1 j  j6 |% y. j4 h+ \% x% z* L3. 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.

/ M5 ]. z, U, h, v, a% Q* {4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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* _* T4 d% A, oHe 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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8 M( n9 I( I- O8 _# hThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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4 W" ]6 w5 `& \' FThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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8 a! B2 D5 E& lIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

+ `5 b2 W8 t% T) D9 f0 V: |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。
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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.

' ^) |. |: P5 C& {( b! s3 k8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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3 o8 N% _) a* ^& s$ _It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

3 ~& _4 c/ A3 D9 P名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

* E* Q# F  p  ]" s- ldeserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 ^0 _8 H( e6 I+ A" P7 Olive up to one’s reputation
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% D0 `* K' d3 a' L- R) O- m# w8 c/ t9. 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.”

: J. r! C7 T5 E; Y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”。
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7 c! h$ o& s8 j2 a9 T& AHe 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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6 u! u! I1 ^7 N0 s9 f0 s  T) O1 kTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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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All good things must come to end.
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. ^  Q7 P% E- [" wAll feasts must come to an end.
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4 D+ g  C1 E- y. L5 u- W# n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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1 E8 t2 Q; B+ w; G2 C13. 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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( U* @4 l$ j( Z扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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1 x+ M) K) @6 Z. s2 j6 r14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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: Q1 ]: e2 C4 }7 l+ @A leopard can’t change its spots.
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% j  S; |4 ~- j: R& n$ u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。

7 b8 L; e9 |- TA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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. a8 ?# X6 }1 X' X0 e16. “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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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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* G0 }/ A7 T  M$ y" R煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

. o" m; n: O! f/ Z$ Z9 W/ q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

+ P; v' z) l& v6 P, o1 eI 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

18. 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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

5 R7 w% g/ Q" K4 {  K+ ^0 T  W/ NThe 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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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!
0 D0 S5 [. v8 S! [/ gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

+ D- f5 F5 ]. N5 z' u; {上周日中午你去大统华了吗