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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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* ]1 r& ]$ n3 {$ x2 Q- F' U动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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$ w# m( X1 t( F' T动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

2 K. [( d' Z# _' Y! x# q. c/ e1 K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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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& ~* n3 U, {  G* c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

1 R7 Z. n4 d1 k3. 十年树木，百年树人。

* @3 C4 o- M; u3 ~: U1 ?' |It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

6 ~+ X) |3 I. ~! {/ _4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

5 Z/ O- }% E2 {- `% Y: X) CHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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( o# F* Q+ ?5 x! L4 Q& a( t0 `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 H: }% [/ R8 q: b  K& q5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

% Y8 o; q! s# z/ LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The 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.

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。
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; T$ E5 Y) N& W- i6 z/ \He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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. ^( [& @4 i( C2 ?7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

  U+ ?4 V" t# D张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

0 y, _$ f' k# y8 a8 m5 Y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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8 r% o8 M* ~  Y# e$ \It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

: C' B9 J0 }: D& [! @* R- S5 X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

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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% ~1 E# |% l& P: _2 Y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”。

4 U' Z; q. W5 i# \9 h" K) ~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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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2 h0 {, _' Y" M$ {" TTom 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.

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

5 Z) l* Z" Y# d! ]9 h) y3 _All feasts must come to an end.
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# a2 f5 ^0 a! b* c- l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.

( Q% }- a' w0 E  M2 ?4 g5 E13. 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.
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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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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1 }2 E3 h% V; A江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

# S, {2 z3 ]  d+ B% G16. “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.

4 `& f% d/ L3 R! K- R. Z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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5 s9 X7 C! F- s% r8 p借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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/ V( ]- m% X9 y+ W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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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- U1 ^  L4 i$ p$ c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。

" t4 ~2 K* e& w8 E' U1 m) SHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

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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) W$ {" }" H& `7 R) L& C& tThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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7 b, F$ F# |. @; T9 {( Q- M扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 N" l2 @- Z7 F  h6 a20. 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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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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗