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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7 c- u* O) A9 R& b8 T+ T3 lShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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0 Y/ R2 {7 E( J& i) ~* FShe 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.

$ W) |& B9 l# I# c3 H( c6 y. P. K刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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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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: d; [0 D: d7 N9 Mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

2 z. E) p* Y0 G7 B2 X) c( TIt 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。
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# t2 w6 t# j9 F* MHe 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.

2 q5 ]6 c1 |/ H5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

: x0 r  `- g. p7 a8 m( e$ ZThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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& T  r1 H, ~6 ^! ?) B5 W' `9 u5 MThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

/ D) n0 C: ~: F0 A7 B0 MIf 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.

4 ~! g  i& P4 w$ p) }# G9 ]6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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2 J, T) o5 F! tThis 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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$ u0 a' a( |8 d$ h; ]$ c7 C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

/ r1 ]8 q1 m. |7 @! U* u; \% NIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

. L& J$ Y# @( u名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- q, c- F+ q: A" M9 ~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。”

8 S7 x; l7 D5 L3 U* h% Z0 w( |3 KMy 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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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.

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.

$ e& n5 V4 i/ h% 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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% M& b- c. c5 l9 D$ T, b% o9 m: U. P' e12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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2 e; R- w' z0 \  _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。

! _1 _' v! ]' A: W1 HWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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  x  F+ S% q2 L! E扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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% W% U' W- O4 S. k7 `% `& H14. 江山易改，本性难移。

. T. ?5 Y% t8 v& M( i; I; h# |9 H' w0 PA 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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5 N  F- x7 q( l) r15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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1 H/ z+ F2 d' D  c* Z6 S! VA 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。

- t( t; m1 k' [4 s+ G) ~$ c; {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.
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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.
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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.
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+ D! ^7 g  `+ C2 E/ o! x胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, D9 u, l; M- e2 [# x19. 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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: m" y' i8 j; `7 s( @4 ^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.
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; Y) T: _5 b6 t; r扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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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。

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

/ m' Z: h' _9 O8 N6 A: V$ `上周日中午你去大统华了吗