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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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- u4 f+ u- U" D2 T7 l! ?1 o% C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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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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" j( e4 D2 O9 D1 b刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

7 E2 N3 S4 |  G: ]. Q5 }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.

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

9 ~1 Y6 S" h" D8 h3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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1 b4 F/ z& {6 }) A. O3 h- A% G8 dIt 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。

2 i& E! c1 M9 }: qHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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. J7 v, b# X4 M! T. a! g石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

" A" {) d; A2 t! U. V0 t2 H5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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- G6 z( y( D$ Y; CThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

" _, x& J3 y/ J9 a, @- L8 b: BThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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! u7 r% L6 a  `! E4 EIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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。
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8 H! Y& O5 x4 A! m0 w+ e, X( dHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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2 q$ c4 h( n% v! [; [/ E7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& k' \) |- E5 P. ~6 \  k9 D3 _张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

: g$ U; Q) k& _. B) g9 k5 f/ f8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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8 |  v; h. |3 Q- tdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”
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. {+ l# H. s2 p$ p7 R) z$ `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.”

5 k* a, @% K4 X: A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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

: O6 ?! B$ W1 `) ?0 ]1 k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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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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6 T( h, n- W( o$ Y2 s1 K0 R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。

2 y, @' a, N' Q; ]0 YAll good things must come to end.

9 X- }6 S- K" [  a9 yAll feasts must come to an end.
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+ I- I  ]7 i+ Q/ M; I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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With 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.
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- ^: P9 C# h* C) A/ S14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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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.

( f6 G! s/ z; w- C) t# z3 m15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A 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。

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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1 d. K1 D1 {$ R" t* N% w* C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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

: v9 w# e+ f  J- `3 [哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

: R- n9 F  a6 c' v9 j9 M/ R4 ?$ R( u18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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, W1 p5 c5 M8 r3 D" WHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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% o0 \6 b7 @* q3 x/ l/ R# ^胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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# |  @3 S% ^; C( Z19. 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.
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4 G) ?7 i) Y% L* L  n$ kThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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- s: i& |4 G8 }6 E4 I5 o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。

: k! E6 ^7 C4 X/ a! V0 xHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

6 ^# w3 V6 Z- w3 S0 J上周日中午你去大统华了吗