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.

" c; ]: Y6 e2 hShe 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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: }6 k8 Z- f4 o9 z6 l动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

5 ?" Q2 t) F7 J8 p刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2 x# ]+ K2 m$ k# |/ X+ o2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

, }1 r6 C# |+ r3 ]4 A/ ~8 dHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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' t7 _* a% e7 t& b9 ?* z: L不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

7 ]5 j+ |5 k0 S! ^( erefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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! `4 R' @# E* P/ c+ C! n# [It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

7 ^, z* l8 }2 K$ aHe 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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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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.
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/ Z  W: ]# P  Z# y) _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.

  U0 H/ y; \' B% J1 c6. 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 E# v* |. g% wHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

  q* i, G8 M  N3 l3 O2 M7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% S4 F$ Y  }. _0 a* `) ?  x- t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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

  E5 L6 ?: ]  M名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve 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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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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% E" D7 g- `) N4 t! d10. 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’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

; Q* y/ R) I# f- r, S( {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.

, R- r2 @8 z& A4 o, l9 A3 S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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* U0 F1 K4 Q- N* I5 ]' Z12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

  I0 U& n0 f6 M, i* P0 K. n9 XAll good things must come to end.

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.
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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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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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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。
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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。

% R8 v4 W" Q+ STalk 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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4 r* S- b! m' y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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$ G- Z* z: _5 K6 I, U$ A1 d借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

- I4 A9 q9 y: H. Y煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

9 H/ ?6 ^% W( F2 J" V& z17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

8 R8 Q; T. l0 M! ~: X9 T" mI 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。

; u# L6 i" H! s" l, CHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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7 a5 h( H- W3 H) r" |胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

  R1 Q+ d7 t: ~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.
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+ ^( o) t( G0 D! X$ y/ iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# @* O6 D# p% y2 @; I扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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3 K; I; L: x8 F" p' B# T9 D20. 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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, p" V" I2 E/ C9 |He 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

: k. h& b: o2 j/ c5 Z; ^8 b1 v上周日中午你去大统华了吗