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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' V! e/ `, |+ p( ZShe 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
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; k5 f0 z5 S& @) J1 {动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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! S1 U% x' A7 d( I* s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

' `0 h! N2 j2 L8 A: `他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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$ t" g0 ]. f( J4 h7 [% fIt 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。
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. W% C/ B! i, @& e3 f' Y/ }He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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& U! n  A) H( }8 w# p: C7 L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。

The 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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: n! Y  L- ^' m- W+ M; g; S. xIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

  R0 Z& Y7 N/ e  p" X2 |3 }5 N5 q( K# U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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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3 W% ^% t+ [$ i$ cHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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2 ~: [1 w  e; x6 Y- O+ a4 K$ H7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

, Q  e% Z' Z& k8 r2 K# \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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+ v0 X4 a2 Q9 G  i; a! N名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

+ T, D1 s$ C5 Rdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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5 o. L; R" |) b/ Q3 w; ylive 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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9 G) R) g2 f& Q& s  R9 ZMy 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.”

9 p; J. N6 u' j, l  N: ^/ {# z* o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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1 A: C9 S' s$ ]He 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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

) Y; Q" j' g& ~1 d- cTom 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.

3 ]: o; a2 g0 N. t. ?4 `8 N12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

; Y4 J. U  v. d# DAll feasts must come to an end.
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6 {* `4 E, A7 w0 s; s+ z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.

  n" |3 `% B0 n: B  b5 H13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

. G6 W( S, v  s6 H2 q$ Z2 r# M. {With 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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0 n7 u( I' R& aA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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。

* {, w+ [7 I/ m1 e9 ]: ^A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

$ i1 P$ A1 P2 ~3 Q+ Z16. “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。

' g$ P2 @( n1 x8 k  PTalk 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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8 k# ]+ b8 u. ]' u" ~  C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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/ v3 o3 Q: _4 f5 R( A借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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: E* j7 x) v3 u; A! v) I" B17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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' Z2 i) `3 ~7 y2 S) UI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

: Y6 E4 z  y8 e7 v" G哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

: Y1 }1 W5 b8 e/ C- l% U( D18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

4 G2 e  n5 {7 L6 R" o4 MHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

0 z) s; ?& v- J# o* g. [4 z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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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( j7 {2 v/ g/ ^The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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# e: ]; i: Z9 ~- j扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

" g# Y- p0 ?5 j, a% D4 o8 x' |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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9 D3 \1 h* ?0 L; B' X) f" x1 P" MHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
7 q  ]6 S& W0 ]+ z" F6 Kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗