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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' ?, Z+ y) v- Z8 h- aShe 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.

2 h9 {/ P' ?: Y+ X% j- F2 _! I动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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  m- h* N$ T7 S3 F0 q- f: o动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

' A2 z9 h: V4 J7 k; k) J& q& G3 q& ~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。

$ u+ d* O! b8 p0 L  {# zHe 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
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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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He 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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2 n  N/ n% S& J+ k) D5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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# O2 u8 B; s4 k# X  [& n) h! d4 oThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

4 D: o+ S" ^  h% Z* }The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

: `- y& R. w& M* t% Q9 x" XIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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1 [& m* t( V6 s: ~$ D  Q4 P' ^# {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。

6 j6 ^' Y4 _2 a" Z- u+ s! BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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5 ~& A  d2 F+ D" i1 i) V7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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+ C& _: n7 L( TThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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: |$ J& ?2 P7 j/ T6 }# K, i0 Tlive up to one’s reputation
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$ v6 }1 t5 S" ^( k5 M9. 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.”

0 x) s0 Q* X% W" k/ ]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”。

' ]3 ^8 g) z- s9 ?5 q% k/ `& MHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

9 p# n+ u: b* v- V: B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。
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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.

% h) \# _2 ]7 I2 e, a* 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

All 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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) S4 X1 _8 r4 f8 Z4 J5 K0 W13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

" \! w- p' D- k) f: F$ c1 _/ U扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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; k/ j$ i* _9 \4 e2 Q14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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9 f- Z) I0 G; Q$ J' v- F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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3 T4 r1 l# l5 i; z7 h" Z15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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。

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.

+ Z* @2 l6 B& Q9 Y- G, N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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6 m. {/ Z/ j+ s8 c借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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! p: I$ j4 m& `' N, D3 |煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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- |' n* |: k$ @( {/ W. Y17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

. T0 g7 k: D+ q$ TI 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
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  k/ V9 B, s. S- g( g) m) P18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

: @5 X+ G; Q8 {4 C2 y胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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  J( q/ H9 k( K/ 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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; y( x6 i; _% V+ l8 L) J- aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

" h. G3 {8 L  f1 S" mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

5 C  a' @0 k$ D1 y$ T+ }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。

7 k6 T+ ]) l* L: r# WHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# w3 ^* D1 O$ _/ xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗