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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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1 o2 B: `, q( s6 w$ k( S$ VShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

2 ]4 S% Q8 p* f动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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6 K; x, t7 z+ R+ A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 r4 T0 L' d9 L动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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8 `( V3 g6 M4 Y! q& K他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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. K1 |+ X/ F' P! X% I5 Y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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' I" C5 ]6 x+ x: T" JHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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$ s# b, T* ]' Y* w7 u: G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

2 T. M: e& o7 V  k( \) y" P1 \3. 十年树木，百年树人。

0 C4 d3 G0 t* S% |3 B/ p/ a6 UIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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" g* L1 }5 G" n; b. ]: j$ G4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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. s, I2 s& J( y% UHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

" `' O1 B7 L$ A6 B' t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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) b, I1 X5 |" |4 A9 Z) k5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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+ d' o' u' E( z& XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

6 H, V# j$ b. L7 W( |2 X- _The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If 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.
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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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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1 f0 g4 R( O; |$ p7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

4 v3 b+ B6 c- |$ Y$ |, K/ k' H' fThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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8 W) g5 P. l) D( F* V/ \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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1 n7 Y5 g' Z$ V  Q6 U0 b' T. J8. 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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4 z& G0 o5 a5 d3 B& ~名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

( J: c. Y# l& k6 C2 mdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

  X  g4 c! M& D2 Mlive up to one’s reputation

. |4 X* _& P6 d5 |4 g9. 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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* T) `9 x3 S; ~/ n0 {+ f. c: ^& X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”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

, ^- `; x! B/ L# x) t  B% Z. v+ A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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4 a7 {3 d- u: x4 T# A$ T1 VTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" I; `$ L3 ]. _* H' P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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

8 W' A9 t  P5 M7 \: e' NAll 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.

13. 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.

0 X4 s3 `8 U7 M5 l8 d- P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。

8 h! e2 `0 N1 v! H: P$ o# ?2 BA leopard can’t change its spots.
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7 Y& L) w2 ^) x1 P1 j$ z7 r# H江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

4 H$ i. h, P; a15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

3 j8 u6 ]- [2 X16. “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。

8 K! G4 T' C+ d% ~0 y$ Z/ ^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.

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

$ @3 F7 U$ f6 T17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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4 q# \, X$ l+ B" D( |I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

7 @/ W& B* Y2 n  l9 o" y哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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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.

# W* z8 P7 ^( d' C# W2 ?$ b4 s胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

  Y9 x) x1 L- H1 ]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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, G: F, @6 a( H8 }+ v" ?The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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8 s3 ~  V. r1 o7 L1 BThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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- g$ J* f  X1 H" g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。

, K; c9 H. O) {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

& x8 q8 p1 t$ U4 b4 g上周日中午你去大统华了吗