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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

% u0 S1 f3 K. [* _- qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

5 \, K) b' {5 d. {3 L动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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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7 l, V) e: O* k他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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4 X" A- L8 \" L- Z! K) W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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. S$ c7 [# v0 g& Z& a- r3. 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。

3 ]. {6 `" g) B+ c% kHe 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.

5. 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.
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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.

9 q, R/ m& a. S( N5 v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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) M2 C4 t- ]  G  b( o6 x6 y6. 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。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

! V. m4 M) D4 J" N0 j+ c5 p  z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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, m. s$ o5 V8 `+ a* \% T0 X8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

9 K  J" P5 I% p; R8 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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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

. c! Q' ^# V. a2 ?+ F  nlive 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。”

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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7 s) w, W; y4 k. z  V0 u天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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/ ~5 z4 {9 {+ L; R' A  D10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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0 v# v( ?5 x7 ^) MHe 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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7 T* Q' |! z2 a' E/ q" g+ {4 _- e11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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7 z' S7 `: I, L, lTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
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% P& L& E/ P$ g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.
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All feasts must come to an end.

  M( n# p' q4 c* D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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

+ o) T# D, A. I9 R/ [! EWith 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。

% e' l  z3 k2 f, c3 U2 rA leopard can’t change its spots.

1 b5 Q. g! H" l; k. {& L9 E. [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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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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。
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* d2 E3 D3 F* j- {% \1 d  `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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1 ^3 o6 w8 f% L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.

  {$ ^2 y6 r1 w/ p* Z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
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8 b" }8 s9 `3 @8 s+ t( T) a( w17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

( ^0 {" g2 H& \% Y' A; z! LI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

6 j4 P! r9 K9 c+ W8 @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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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) D: d+ d9 t, N' t7 {胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

2 P. |% k2 n0 S# W1 P3 ]5 Y( o' FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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. ~1 Z2 R& M$ m  b9 `' b- u+ bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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5 Q- r7 o$ j! ~2 \. X% k扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

2 q6 o0 }! R; S+ E) f, `, r20. 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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! X' }! e- R% |4 \He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% B0 p, T$ R# r! B4 Sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗