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。

0 r' t  ^5 I& rShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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9 k3 H$ s5 c7 L2 r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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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4 E/ B, _' u$ k# UHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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8 e/ Z( u. _" e0 ], m+ I! ^不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

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.
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9 E4 J7 @, x, T4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

" h! w- q0 T8 O9 X5 G6 d/ s" yThe 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.

# X) L: Z! C2 m4 g+ @4 g' aIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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: R( j9 U% v* y( w2 E& 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.

( H0 F0 p* J# B/ m! c9 ]5 r6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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1 {) |" Y9 t/ I/ s  r5 V6 @& aThis 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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9 \+ Y1 l* r' g" b' R, OIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- J; E, [6 V3 u% ~* e8 z( E: Hdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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# U1 M' Y& z8 \% Y8 B, i9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

1 M9 W( ?: K1 c) i. {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.
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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.

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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) n( Y. y; i" r% P3 u' L) R7 Q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

0 t& A1 E# U; }0 F7 G; dAll feasts must come to an end.

* z6 `/ Z& ]8 e/ d1 n' g# U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.

+ M( g! p( q4 S. F/ B5 W13. 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.

- W: I3 {) F. b' x15. 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.

) A. T: m( A- D4 {& k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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' T. w' E( ?9 A  c2 j2 ~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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9 h% r" N% W' I6 c, II felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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1 K& ~: ~! \6 \8 e7 M/ }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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: V, a) z; X, @2 ^* M) L8 FHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  |8 |' o5 ^. L3 B' k% q" Y1 \胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; h5 K6 D3 P5 Q2 ]19. 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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% y( q* V! p3 G  q/ dThe 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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& O* S' Z6 U# ]$ E( S0 v$ S9 K  m. H扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

' G. A0 o3 o. I7 @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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4 G) o7 a: D0 q' Q. MHe 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