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.
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. O. R5 _' O; Y! G; x- {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

0 u0 ~0 A$ i/ [- n; Y4 F3 k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

  w, O& c0 n& i( Z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

" |' E( s  t' ~1 K2. 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.
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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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, I3 T6 B9 V3 k5 H2 O7 Y5 }refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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* F, _" \" L! m* B  y* P8 R3 G3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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8 R! l3 i% U. N) n- d% [2 f$ eIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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3 G( J' d/ Z9 o+ H/ C4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

1 G2 \( I! x# ?6 o0 h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。
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2 ~8 _" e6 U3 nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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* l+ Y! X* h* @7 l& }The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. r# ]1 e/ i+ UIf 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.
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+ B) ^. A$ j+ L  M7 l! g, a! I# w6. 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 w/ `( j+ H  @) L$ K% h- M8 W7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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* K- U) ]  z* D1 Y0 k& {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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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: F. P5 `3 v# a* ?名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

3 F" j7 k; J* Q+ ]) ]deserve the reputation one enjoys;

+ y4 j- Y5 h# r/ w' H1 @% n7 llive 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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# X, i' g% l+ V' UMy 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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( G" j% c0 Y! ^- t$ N# p6 Z, C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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4 h1 b# w( n/ d' bHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

$ o$ b  Y$ k, d* O7 L1 K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。

4 U, e) j" C5 ^$ VTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

* V& ^0 `' {" x) \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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  q; h7 T) d$ o# Y3 f# a( }0 U" h; n: z12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

: `) Y# _2 G& P+ c$ b, F% ^3 d3 PAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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: M( G  [  r2 g4 Y" h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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# `" |0 R8 h' |+ Q, c- FWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

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。
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$ S! r" J+ S! ~& ]% G3 m: F$ OA 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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' ?4 I+ K) j. o5 L: U, m3 X15. 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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. l$ j- c' B7 k* M3 K* R2 l% x16. “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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# M" H8 P- }5 k8 B7 p/ S7 rTalk 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.

% D& z! S% U9 M& r  Y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.

/ i4 S6 x9 @: l  D/ A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。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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5 J- e4 X' p5 j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

: w  t+ T( t1 l1 NHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

" ?! i. w2 ]! W, R; i  _3 K胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

2 G" t4 n# T) D% f+ O2 ]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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; Y4 `9 S4 e( w& R" {& [8 n' {The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

3 E8 f/ L2 Q9 lThe 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

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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
0 |9 E7 Z5 [1 O6 lbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗