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。

7 ^$ p( @& I% v% q' P* S% fShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

) o7 J) F! m0 V1 n7 cShe 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

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

" A2 D( B1 {, S6 t' d0 `. K刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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: F( a! j  `7 U- B; S! K2. 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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- y% k, K$ a* M$ l# Nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 g5 ^. z, V, i4 F+ ~3. 十年树木，百年树人。

/ W6 j3 t9 y1 o6 kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

( Z$ z) H0 Z7 o* u9 A" a7 i4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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" a: r5 V- w% `He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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$ T1 K; y- D- _. g- @3 Y: J石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

! M, z) n: ?9 ?$ {& R5. 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.

; o& I+ ~# x+ h2 w1 t1 s  E9 ZThe 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.

* p) U, l8 Y0 O7 C8 \& w) B: 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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

4 u  w4 F( R% q. N, o' C/ lHe 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。

This 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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: `0 Z7 L0 a& u1 H" sIt’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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( z- r7 i# e: ^deserve the reputation one enjoys;

) g3 S& `4 L; w( X. R. }live 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。”
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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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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  f& b9 A7 F- e' ~6 @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.

! q% h, O/ v# _$ T  J' N11. 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.

0 R% O5 ]: n1 m  ~% p* w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.

% V3 {% }4 e9 t6 s' J12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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0 o( }  v9 T/ J4 c- qAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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8 b' p: e, G: y& Z& v0 T, s  u) G! J13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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  _2 z, [4 O0 _With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

; x0 N* z' L8 S$ ^, B0 w4 w9 ~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.
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7 D  e, l$ m9 j" u* a0 J15. 吃一堑，长一智。

1 N/ Y& R& O5 L0 RA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

- D3 M9 [4 K' B/ H* Q5 {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。
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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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! J4 T, u( P; W$ l9 w8 N5 `1 U' D4 @- i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。
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8 R: L( R; C  t, `I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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3 a% B* t- J' g( M6 b1 W; a哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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2 _  q% |: A7 l  Q1 k; {2 l1 ]& V18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

8 a' {/ b8 L6 `  E/ P( bHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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/ \+ |3 e, Z9 P* v19. 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.

% ]3 L: h' b4 ?3 e* n- q: O$ jThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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。
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8 q8 L9 X' E4 y3 pHe 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

& o1 M  w7 m2 ?' ~, w9 S4 ~5 X0 K5 F上周日中午你去大统华了吗