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.

( o1 Q, M# l3 y! S+ qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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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; F9 D" W% M8 _7 E* l0 ^他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

8 E9 B1 _. ?6 F! |3 Z6 G$ }刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2 {$ K) ^/ Z8 W, }+ _& M2. 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.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

& I% F1 e. X' b8 d5 C7 O7 xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

; Y4 h2 C+ @& @) ?- z: r3. 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.

4. 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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* F9 m$ H. d/ M; R0 P' R* t6 V* x石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

" d4 y+ K7 I4 L5. 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.

" p8 ^  [* T2 U/ `- vThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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) W% o7 _2 W- y. b+ L9 MIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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' J/ X  k/ _1 v! V( s1 j5 [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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( o9 U2 _) s! _2 ]6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

# D& O- x% u' A  }% MHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

' e/ N) ]0 y& p- Q6 vThis 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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ d/ e, A0 A4 E( ]* _4 M' d名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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( P1 F( a: S3 b. d* |% J- G: bdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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, h% x9 o3 Y" F' d* vlive up to one’s reputation
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. s. x. q/ R+ I) M( C9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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* C0 X5 ]) K3 y( r( }, rMy 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.”

  Y3 c9 v% @' S* v天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

8 @: E' |$ ~9 ~* D  ~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’.”
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4 l  _, ~& b- i+ p2 @" R* {* V画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

2 Q0 Z& O* s1 j/ X11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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' h, o4 t6 {+ Y! K4 ]6 d8 |9 aTom 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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  _! t! n) `- |. J0 ^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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8 e0 S! I1 N3 ^7 ^$ w; u- A; a12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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/ {0 @9 d, `3 W8 T! f1 J2 nAll good things must come to end.
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& H) p( v; Z2 ?  ^2 g4 C1 FAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

+ N# R% q. P( ZWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

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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. h8 J! w" z$ o- Q! ]1 |6 z15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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- d" o. x9 r+ C  H& {7 nA 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。
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% y4 |8 |+ q; A' k  l2 _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.

9 Y5 P. G+ t8 h/ S1 @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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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0 o" c9 f: x: ^% d7 ]17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

: y- `$ [6 F) |# _. vI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

, O- A4 b- L& F! n: p' D1 M$ I哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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" h) O" z1 c' `) D1 S. M: x; o! \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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

5 ~2 s! E- I' E% G& E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!
5 }3 ^5 j  s8 V8 C( Wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

0 R. F$ b0 @' q上周日中午你去大统华了吗