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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9 Q6 f$ T" X6 h3 q4 \She 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.

$ g" l) _, P: ^3 a动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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
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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。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

: f7 q, o( V, @  _& ]5 B( t0 \refuse to give up until all hope is gone

- h4 c! C: X. {; Q8 _+ r! O0 l3. 十年树木，百年树人。

$ B! G7 v/ D" UIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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1 N" {1 v2 Q' L3 U! L$ V2 x4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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* u' D' {& P! KHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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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, l0 H( O% J+ \' R5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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+ @( z/ u5 Y, w( [4 f5 R5 c& C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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& G2 C& Q; Q& A% O$ K3 O6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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+ m. G0 H, ?' K. T+ P4 KHe 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.
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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。

4 J0 |  [8 \: Z! `It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

8 S  j0 m& M$ D$ i名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

" b. y9 X  T: m! S/ Klive up to one’s reputation
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5 q- ~: ]9 j5 J( }9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

/ g  u" ^8 @1 i- t4 K+ ]) ^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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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’.”
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. d" E1 ~! E8 r3 N! f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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* ]# u' R# Q% z* HTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

- q! B! r9 L$ 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

8 [8 F; H6 N" e& m* N! U( DAll good things must come to end.
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* y7 J: X9 X( GAll feasts must come to an end.
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# O$ O8 q' X9 G/ M/ l8 Z/ s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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1 I9 w- m2 U. ?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.
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- V- v9 i' Q6 g3 P3 p' f/ K9 e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。
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A 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.

+ m3 w! {- f$ h- n; I) ?2 _15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 B9 T7 K! D5 BA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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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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.
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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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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.

3 t$ q8 c( m6 s% G7 g$ ?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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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& C# T% g% [8 _0 a19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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" f8 H& ]* v( b( p' aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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" s+ y7 U5 V7 `- L扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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9 z1 D& S4 H! R4 N+ l8 X20. 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