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。

3 P9 s7 I7 b' ]She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

5 d' C) a. h- S" j9 t7 f8 JShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

* t5 S0 U1 ^+ l8 s4 T) ?/ s+ F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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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$ e, w! W* o! Z) R$ h8 H" U2. 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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。
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" j- O7 T* E% b  u& L% d% b9 e9 dHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

4 v, g2 G  `: ^, b! W! J0 W石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 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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& y) N* Z" P& b0 ]5 ?( J- AIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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9 a: q4 @1 s& e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。

4 d- V1 d1 A/ t( t9 J% f7 lHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) D' B5 P: x9 ~& Z7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. N: k0 i7 l; m* j+ a) O( 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.

; m" ~4 s' @1 A3 @" o8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

0 ]8 \  u! V: l: B  V! ^It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: h* {* T0 K2 L  N4 J( zdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

: M& a6 e" s5 Y$ C1 bMy 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.”
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' i$ R7 |& P1 e8 O) n, y: s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’.”
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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。

Tom 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。

All good things must come to end.
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: d. p0 d4 O6 ^1 e, a8 bAll feasts must come to an end.

7 q4 N- [# m( h" }. t0 x1 [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.

1 q, ^# Z' D3 e: g+ |6 |13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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6 V' u) `) w) lWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

2 i( F. u2 c1 W7 p; D扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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- \* h& ]! ~- W14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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/ q5 Y, o9 }$ w4 i% W, r9 JA 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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# X9 N* q! E7 Q2 R15. 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.

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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, F6 H# T0 d, P7 W17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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$ K; O* d$ R; Q1 z1 Y3 A# jI 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

/ O4 n1 }9 K9 J5 h( V( z18. 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
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, O( Q/ O5 _3 ^$ H19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

( t7 H# o. A# L2 i+ G9 qThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

9 q& D* A5 \9 p  h, {0 xThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

$ i$ x8 K5 S) ?( U1 n( q6 M: R扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

" C. m/ E3 S6 }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。

* [% D1 F  ~; g. ?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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗