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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2 U2 {6 {8 U# W; eShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

7 s! J" {3 B5 ~* w  m, S, J4 WShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

9 l8 K4 L: W2 P/ R( S7 X8 N) |动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

- U5 J5 u+ O  o! b' v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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3 T4 e* m- E/ I' r) S9 ~$ v  @2 i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

2. 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.

! m: d: _" ?1 Q  D2 F( m% I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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It 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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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.
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, C* X* k* Q1 c$ {5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

* v' \( e" {& ~4 cThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

! U, s0 l9 L7 T( LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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7 c" r2 ]  |; V5 k3 A: _, fIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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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- [; W$ s, j* S/ D; f$ N6. 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.

- o) g" N) P+ j7 }6 G1 Q7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

; b. F7 o7 g9 z" _! R8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

% m- X8 k  h' z+ vIt’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;

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。”

( \2 s) b. Q$ K) G: A/ UMy 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.

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.

: }, C8 q" V( e& T. Q. |  b- P11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

5 A! o; s2 P4 Z  R8 p) C6 xTom 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.

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

$ D0 d/ U: o# P+ ~8 YAll feasts must come to an end.

+ ?2 o2 H& }! e5 p/ j2 {! `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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) o" u0 J' ?* H13. 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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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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4 Z1 h- P# }& M: a8 BA leopard can’t change its spots.
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- S& F8 D6 C4 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.
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0 u3 r* w- L/ C& s0 E15. 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。

" }9 f! d: ~* m! ^) UTalk 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.

  O7 j! B( G/ v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.

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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

  V" J  k) e$ q3 |2 `: 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

) E; F5 e/ ?1 h) U. ~8 ?7 }; ?He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。
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! z: W5 z0 c' {; X) t( K% q; ^6 X) CThe 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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6 S2 m  x* c4 u6 z7 U2 F扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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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& O( i" q5 [6 {. q) BHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
$ B* W6 `; p$ Y  T; \0 abillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗