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。

- N- D: U6 b: B9 e2 s5 e  z9 KShe 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.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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/ r& t, x4 P' n2 K, H. z3 _" A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 B- s7 a& g1 J1 [6 p+ q+ N2. 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.

  G, _6 r8 }; C7 n4 L2 z) I  D% b1 U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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6 M- e8 S2 o3 W' A! e' q3. 十年树木，百年树人。

3 D& w, p4 G8 F: m8 ~It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

5 X4 B$ W' M' ^9 _4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

/ E. G7 i! L* O0 N" i: |8 o* `石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

( M; Z: e4 R6 E. B5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

1 ]+ P* W$ Y6 H+ dThe 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.

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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0 b1 R. |+ G3 p! P% a6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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5 a* a, Y8 l+ XHe 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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; d/ N4 r# ^0 U% p1 i0 a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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* {& \. Y% q# u7 b% U" o8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" i$ X- V) r# ^. F9 F( |名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

9 O' j8 L0 U0 v+ odeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”
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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.

* |8 ?% v1 c- i# E10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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( e3 P- j: `' S! kHe 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.
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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.
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: w, E' E, o" O6 g, r1 P! B5 o12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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# |) M2 P7 `* f' I+ [; t) OAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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* H5 G. A5 c0 \0 p8 y4 r" n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+ ^  i' Z* f& o  Z5 RWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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) s% M8 l3 l3 Y+ V# b2 ^  g# `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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7 |9 Z) r9 w5 Q9 V. a14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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: K4 O  Z: R8 Q# C% |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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9 H( @. u, U6 l  e. pA 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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  @! N# J$ `: n6 s- N' g/ fTalk 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.

/ y' ]1 f6 b8 Y5 P1 V- ~借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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  j  ^  F% e* I! }煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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; O! E* L7 f, k( S; U17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

  H% L) ]2 G) t/ u  p0 iI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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4 ]! h4 |- l7 ^; Y: [4 y8 H哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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, N6 D: R" j5 w+ h: ]" Q; v18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

! @$ Z( u" [, _& X0 K/ aHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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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。
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& t4 X$ H( _$ _& L# }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. S7 K% t! ^% i/ Z) _3 xThe 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

, A3 @+ Y3 U/ N$ i, K20. 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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4 f1 I& }3 P' i4 c* dHe 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

5 M2 A1 G) R( S3 M上周日中午你去大统华了吗