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。

/ i, ^6 N! W5 F2 _0 P. D0 \/ ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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8 i/ J. n' F) |) XShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

; {1 [* N' \; j' v7 m5 k8 B动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

; [& M2 P/ C8 B3 b动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

6 n/ y' [" z4 ?+ r  c2 f) }( }$ K* w) M动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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* d9 t1 y2 i- b/ W4 |( _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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* @, p6 c& t4 xHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

! D  m0 M8 S9 @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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( N2 l7 r% K* D+ |refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It 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。

He 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

5 A+ j4 N. w* a) h, hThe 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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: X/ E6 N4 n* r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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

  `4 m7 j3 K8 \+ EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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0 Y4 v9 a2 O6 L) C3 u% X" ^7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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4 j/ h* f9 x! \+ Y7 c# x1 T2 aThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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0 j( b) u8 X1 z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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* o) T) Y4 I* `! P8 b# }0 d+ o8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

3 c6 z2 z+ A8 r, B3 v" J名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

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。”

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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/ B8 Q# u# t1 Z+ v2 o) B- X( C, u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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+ N( O+ ^' L2 r% p画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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6 h9 |  Y" v, H7 @* c11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

! `4 M" n% Q# k2 Q0 H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.

* {9 U% y$ d( g; I12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

% m* K3 A5 m! x1 I% KAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

, ]+ G* L& }& M  r' C8 d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.

4 ^/ W: }; X) G6 p! S13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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# k0 G5 r: ~8 l2 IWith 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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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。

9 W0 q, C3 Z( z* PA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

9 M7 H5 O. I; H& v5 I, [2 d: [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.
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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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8 ^8 u% `7 Q( w. q/ z) x: @借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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& X8 `" g* v/ |2 }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。

9 H- q( B) }/ j/ tI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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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。
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He 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

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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+ z. \, ?( k, k/ |4 b' eThe 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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  Q; ?4 O9 h: k: v2 W, W$ k( N扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

8 ]0 U9 \2 O! P7 lHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 X- O/ @1 z/ `) w" X! G1 O/ O8 a( Ybillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗