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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( }: N* ]3 R3 n2 L: }. k$ S4 fShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

  j/ A0 K  ?+ d, p+ v5 B! P" v" HShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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5 ^, H6 D0 H3 @他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

" z3 _* C  q& l刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

4 m, H. H, c9 W/ m* c2. 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;
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0 m+ L# C) V* h5 brefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 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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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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0 l# n6 c/ }5 N( G) k  |6 a6 G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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

* g+ U8 P4 K! W+ n- n4 oThe 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.

- t/ C( T3 I# [  m1 Q4 S2 Y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 X6 D. U, ]6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

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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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

" Y  a4 u, p  y1 x$ n" E0 H张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

% j7 Q( e, W+ s6 x# g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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; a; \0 @# Q! ?It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

  m7 k- Z) P& d9 ]3 Q( `deserve the reputation one enjoys;

$ S  i0 t% A0 y; Z  O& S# nlive up to one’s reputation
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2 Q) a7 `/ H: J7 N9. 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.”

( I. i3 V. R% }, @# E. Z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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/ `/ W( I, ?* Q0 \+ k4 pHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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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。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

! i" h5 d: g( @) i8 R: e  ~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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All good things must come to end.

. |& K$ D  ^& d) @; K9 vAll feasts must come to an end.
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+ g8 \6 E+ `: V; 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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) m9 O/ c2 l* @8 W2 f' T13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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/ w1 s3 e# L# a" \扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

6 D/ z* I9 L* ?$ \! f3 {14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
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! }0 [7 n, z$ `4 r* H. ^15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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2 p5 _/ N: A4 N: A* ~+ Z2 }( L, w2 u16. “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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# ?, I2 [# E% q- UTalk 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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" H+ \' S9 Z7 Y$ ~  L0 y  `+ b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.

, v/ c, C" g2 V. M煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

3 D2 Q! x* x$ ?# y1 g哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

" e; _9 ]: i5 M# @# Z. E: p! y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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+ T( f/ \) z9 @$ E  jHe 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。

The 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

$ k4 f: i) N4 u* H. S2 y' U20. 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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2 h4 I, [6 Y7 y8 _0 t) 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

" k1 j1 V( a; h0 p, ~! k$ r5 L! p# F上周日中午你去大统华了吗