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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She 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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  e! H* A- [: o3 U0 K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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6 K' [/ N3 b& }- e% 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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$ A$ Z0 i+ a. i! u; ?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. 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;

  r" s4 N& k5 D' C+ m/ Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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" ^4 G0 C& w" Y$ ^; O1 p4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

: S, u  j- H# P5 h5 iHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 t; T( V3 C( m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.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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- g4 A1 H8 _7 _9 A& fIf 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.

% z. D4 K+ J9 |7 x! T/ n6 D$ y' a6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

& k  A. N/ e' C+ r- IHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

) q! N( i1 _% t5 n7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

" A- {1 ~% @0 z8 m5 h- {& w; BThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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0 Y) ^8 M9 T# Z' r9 O张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

: E, j3 v" N# ?9 A% L! S8. 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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4 `+ J. S( k8 W3 Z5 G2 s% e/ o名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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! [3 Z8 Z4 E5 M3 W8 |* Ideserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

2 {7 p# C+ i" HMy 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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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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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。
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  f$ F( r. ^$ ^- o2 jTom 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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$ v! K, c$ z6 |- K# r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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

" {- A. E6 C6 W0 fAll good things must come to end.

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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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7 I  i3 U& c" D) zWith 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。
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3 t( R0 q) U$ hA leopard can’t change its spots.

8 j( [: J$ G2 K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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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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& V  S/ Y& X( _) D+ @5 R16. “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。

, v9 b6 L. O3 n) X" f! d9 nTalk 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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3 m" z7 j) |+ W& U" k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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: L4 s' e4 R4 s5 W5 o( `借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

3 o8 W! w2 y1 j& g2 W17. 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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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.

: V. d1 T' I5 h: p$ ^$ Q4 |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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. w. ~6 t4 }; r1 ?9 C& OThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

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。
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He 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

! i' g: N7 d# ?- u$ }上周日中午你去大统华了吗