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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# V- P8 x# ]: Y  D) o4 dShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

" U2 ?$ ?8 r8 I5 DShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

/ Z6 z! x# m* w0 U- ?4 L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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) }) }7 c  |" A5 G+ J动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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+ c+ @6 B6 C, V他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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' }/ x3 a% Q+ C* k( [) f刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

8 H. ~4 t& @+ o) O2. 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.

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

9 ^/ n. s- [4 H" k, a2 R) |refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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9 L( N9 f: M* u2 K" l- m. X5 m3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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- k1 z. B  m, M" w# T) T: |7 V0 rIt 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。
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0 z) a& \# ~4 i2 A; h4 p9 \' k7 kHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

) B+ P& z% {/ q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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9 U/ @" K' |1 X' r5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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) {2 b; c9 E1 Q# y# R. D; ?( B' HThe 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.
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$ p  A7 u( S" O  Y5 t2 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.

9 Y) K% X0 c# z9 Q, I6. 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.

8 Z* P# T3 w: j" k9 t% d( K7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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+ F9 n' G8 ^! ^7 ~- {# Y张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

- r3 K$ {! b1 a" t8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

7 W7 f' \* R$ j6 M- Y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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1 [1 Q' [; K0 ~' O1 N/ D9 B' ldeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 p# b. h  T) Ylive 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。”
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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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’.”
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# ^2 i1 ]# B$ i' P% t( f画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

! O; N. O; o: M# S; [, W0 j; b11. 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.
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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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5 h& U+ j. f3 F2 T3 z9 n7 ~1 \7 yAll good things must come to end.

7 s: c" F% K  i( W' c& N1 lAll feasts must come to an end.

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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! i$ E8 A/ E- K2 k9 Q3 g3 P3 C+ m8 ^  Z  WWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

7 F3 l4 M8 M1 G. l; a) T9 H, f9 Z, s扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

, H- {! J. K( Y  ^$ J14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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/ A1 b6 ]4 d' }A leopard can’t change its spots.
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: E$ h, m! E) ]1 E! s2 k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。

! `5 f* V! m5 s( U' r) H/ nA 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.

. @8 ]$ \. X( r) B- N$ j$ e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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) j2 O$ {) q$ M2 m$ w3 j. e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。

/ O8 S/ K3 e3 V; [8 oI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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1 }( b# p( B0 a- _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。

+ S2 w3 T1 s$ k$ M* yHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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3 V' |1 ]9 B9 @2 b. y; M3 o6 p9 ], E% b" g胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

; Q+ g' \& p! B; W' l19. 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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: ^+ J; c/ |* f/ ]$ VThe 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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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

2 }, ~$ d/ ^9 ^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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# P/ A" O! P, x0 W* YHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 X5 ^7 T/ s( d0 }6 D4 wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

+ S* i* }( M! n上周日中午你去大统华了吗