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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

$ {4 o1 Z! t1 W" z4 N7 E* mShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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0 S+ u% S# |! J: t9 l2 b4 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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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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- F! r$ [* T: p; W" @: p/ z他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

0 ]( z; {# I% y刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

9 D* b4 K1 M# R5 F+ q- \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.
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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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% Y8 x' J! d' x& P" k1 ~refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 `6 j" h" }* O6 ~2 J  C$ k3 S3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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! t4 q5 r1 X1 q0 S$ c  d- R4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

  y: n# p0 Z" ?He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

1 o4 O/ B  \& ~8 l4 @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。

( d0 y7 X1 _5 ~7 g. `+ r# A* H" 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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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.

& |  I0 ^' h* P! I( b6. 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.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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% ^( R2 Z6 Q+ C& _' cThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

9 u$ w+ |+ h( J* u& X0 E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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

7 U# }+ t* e, \! p7 X* j) bIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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9 D/ h5 s' |. i) Z9 X/ o) N' udeserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

$ I0 B1 @' T9 z4 q; q, P! sMy 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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8 [: u, H0 ^" V% ^5 a4 n, p7 x) e3 q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”。
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9 I/ V1 z# V( V7 yHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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9 Z: u; h7 F6 |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。

* a2 a, @+ @% P* o% n1 N" JTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.

. u2 E; p% O& x$ D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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! S- {1 E: k& \* n: MAll good things must come to end.
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All 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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7 |/ C8 ^+ e* N7 KWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

6 k  N$ Z1 ]; X/ P6 b1 mA leopard can’t change its spots.

7 L8 b- v1 X0 F* ~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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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; f7 [- a( E% \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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; [  b+ m( |# H! tTalk 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.

6 @" @5 Y6 E: i( |) 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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; E" c) U7 d6 K, ~4 j煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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7 G( q, [4 z7 K% V3 z3 G# o5 e17. 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.
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6 Z7 a3 M0 s3 O- e哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

  a& D" p' Q! Q$ ]/ L* d7 _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
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: N# k9 A" x+ J0 _+ b; B19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

9 R- i' c6 I( ~8 yThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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7 Q% f) t. v& F( U6 b扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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1 m5 p8 w8 o6 f' O20. 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。

4 J( S( Z8 H+ D3 H( j( U! ^He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
' }) I1 D8 X3 h$ ]' Bbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗