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.

- W8 i0 ]: _, f# s. t, P; Y8 f, hShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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/ C4 t/ V* b5 l: r动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

" e% F" O0 A/ V# M; i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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) R$ E7 K  c: o3 [  C( \" d他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

3 Q1 Y8 r5 r, w4 X3 }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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: N6 y7 N1 g3 E) @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。

. U1 y% ~! g  \' z/ e9 G% tIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

6 c$ N! G+ n# a8 R1 I% THe 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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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! `( T2 N" ^+ o- JThe 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.
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) C! ?$ g6 w, @; K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。

3 p- T; M. H* i4 b; w5 f; F/ LHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% R+ j* \+ u- t+ _5 [) f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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+ D1 R) P& l' a0 {It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

7 G# k4 v0 q$ u6 |/ B5 ?名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

) ^! P" _( V) O# @7 s  d' V9 e4 AMy 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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5 C/ `( j9 y! B* G5 l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”。

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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

9 D& }% e+ j1 J+ m# i' d$ j; V' }; X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。
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0 X4 M$ r. g( B8 qAll good things must come to end.
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1 Y5 |5 ]; u3 _+ D$ L) KAll 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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# w; C$ k1 a) g7 a! A- K) OWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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& ?) I+ v7 d6 h) R& H' U. q5 k扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

+ y  _0 h0 d( d" MA 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.
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1 r, V! u& }5 W' Q1 U15. 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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. p# r: ?4 F% ?0 O& c2 h& w, u16. “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.
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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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' q) h7 o' C, d5 i( x& w0 Y1 V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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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1 {+ R+ C3 n' P  }1 u) n* XI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

9 U0 z: n: ^- B18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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7 p5 X: Z% a, K& S( W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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# }) z7 c" l0 l, P0 c( yThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

! |4 \1 j( w9 d1 _" a" _0 s( N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。
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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