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.

She 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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5 U2 J$ N' D( s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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& D, F% h5 \# b) `0 P他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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, k8 v+ o8 ]  z0 H" y! u8 Y4 j刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

" S7 a5 ]# R+ a* g4 F! Q# @0 T+ pHe 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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% n/ L3 y$ ?/ e* A, V$ erefuse to give up until all hope is gone

- _0 J, [. O6 m8 m! ]+ w3. 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.

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.

$ ^$ \) X& Q1 K( u$ m石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( h: J; r0 G( ZThe 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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, o# k2 V  l2 }# I* BIf 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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3 b/ a7 q' t; ]% W6. 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.

) \' X) C/ \* X1 y6 b7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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' d- G* @# I: C  Y# [, |This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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0 Y0 S- Y& u3 flive up to one’s reputation

7 o" P" q8 S6 z- F5 u9. 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.”

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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* M; G  G  N3 \2 k- R. \0 E* X$ Z9 iHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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. I2 ^; p2 G6 m) m11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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) e1 {  E: N- r  aTom 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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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。

All good things must come to end.

& o0 }4 j3 s6 b, t, L8 O# H- wAll feasts must come to an end.
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) X: \  g5 b/ D7 x* h8 N9 Y$ _$ v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.

2 S$ f+ W: g6 t. x; V1 z  s13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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: t3 _! ]6 b- G0 G7 n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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& c. z/ l5 g1 H' C: k* E  C4 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.

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 {/ |/ J3 b% H! Z8 U) ?8 w16. “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。

+ e) `$ @; Y- r; s+ CTalk 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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2 Q- v1 C1 Y+ @3 P  ~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

( O& f5 }7 I3 L& _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

; `1 Z" v/ G0 sI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

5 I7 {' G2 |& x, }  E) k' ?0 s+ y3 @4 U: v哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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9 y) c; T+ r1 `6 a4 v18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

7 R/ T- ]* E/ |The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

$ D! e& q, b8 W8 _8 N# L20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

5 B( }+ ^; D; o上周日中午你去大统华了吗