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.

2 f$ J7 }0 ?- ^; eShe 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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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1 P- H; ]; I, S/ J2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 O2 f( O: d  t5 q9 ?He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

% l* F5 M8 T6 _8 }; _: k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
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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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6 u& ]7 C. b. v4 E+ b0 }; e% EHe 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.

$ F( q# c$ a/ p5. 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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If 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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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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/ c& `& L3 W+ z& cHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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4 Z/ V+ d: N; |- e9 B8 S( Y! c7 s7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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& v- X3 b6 F+ o5 J6 ?5 R/ q: ~; EThis 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.
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: L  l' M& A# g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

7 t. I9 a) G, a# B9 fIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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& _, X) U4 N% c! p* A# Z" w; wdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 T+ t3 I2 X" T' M9 olive 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。”

. v- q8 z6 |* W2 V8 wMy 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.”

0 P; \# g7 r1 Q' v* B: E+ x) C天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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( x! [; G( S; \* H& ?, K10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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7 M% T0 K- i* H$ Z# M: R% Q5 y画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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- B1 x  m( ?6 n" a8 d% y11. 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.

: y3 k/ M9 V2 U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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, _# z, p/ c; ~& e12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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; N; }5 w) l+ Q/ \" R3 [! RAll good things must come to end.
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All 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.

3 v: W* O! S4 h# C+ ]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.
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; v5 U# k$ L- U. {4 M/ m- a, _/ n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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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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。

- m7 ]# ?4 A$ `: \5 X6 F( a5 A- `& OTalk 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.

1 |) H" i' s; B, q* f: a7 E5 F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.

, R. O, ^: Z" ], A5 ~4 f借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

- Q; ~6 E5 q, T8 }: T8 n) X+ R* x& d, R煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

/ j: w3 m1 y7 @; D17. 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.
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" \- T9 L. c' }1 F/ G+ j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。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

$ M3 R; x6 I* R5 T% A胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

* k+ a. q3 H; f1 w+ e# P# R9 C19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

5 ?3 P9 \5 P* H0 a  [3 c扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

$ c- M; r8 S% r( [+ D. S4 a20. 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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( C; J' N% T" ]- C/ iHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
( W" m2 E: s5 F1 q( q' m8 Z1 jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗