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。

* K- O8 P: m2 E2 E& P' L$ T- G2 `She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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; n6 x0 ^" t" m/ Z8 k, e: Z: v) M动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

5 V3 s% B2 M6 v) |动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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6 N- r/ C% V5 ]8 Y" S" ], x+ V6 ?动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

- c: d* e6 C% r! {  @他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

- Y4 Y- J+ L7 ^6 ]  A刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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3 ]3 V) d( u# ]$ i2. 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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6 ]9 u/ j: v; r! {8 T; o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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$ B9 z; c) Y& y' _' V- @! Irefuse 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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8 u' h2 Q/ H* \; d% F6 O4. 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.

/ I2 `: @7 e( X, n# X/ g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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: ~) |, o: r! I1 K+ [& a( e5. 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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 c5 W* l2 M! e- W  j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.

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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6 |. h4 U' P& T4 q4 v6 K0 xHe 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。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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# X( h4 E9 U6 k5 b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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  X9 v- X2 x) Y! w8 @. R7 p7 Y8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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0 _" \/ a/ l- @3 @It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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+ L, A) m# t2 _2 D2 @名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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( l1 l0 W, s7 O7 E- N' b# S) Blive up to one’s reputation
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9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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$ W8 s  P4 g( b" cMy 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.

' K4 Q. S# A6 p, s- I' c) k! d% }10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

! _4 l$ d$ r' {1 {, Z: a* kHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

8 r1 s# T8 ^' z# k7 S2 j画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

0 T3 {+ E. \; W8 y, M4 E11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

# P9 U% {1 Q  j  [7 [& WTom 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.

8 p: X1 [& {4 d% q- Z& G$ K# A  m12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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/ i6 m- }7 Q  a. [All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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  p, `- n- j. E' `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。

5 e, C8 d+ s, Y! d( l0 f/ I: xWith 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。

! E6 I6 s* `. UA 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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! i4 L! d/ b1 Q. O6 |) P15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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+ E: N3 G6 T4 ~2 N; b16. “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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+ D7 K9 i( Q: C. 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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$ |. n: V4 K& g6 U+ ?* U& F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.

$ g; T  c  `+ D4 w2 E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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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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* R) b& U! j( P; T18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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2 e3 p: y2 _" Q* V( wHe 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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3 b9 h2 G; H; }/ c19. 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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+ F9 e- m5 Y& l9 @& c( W20. 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗