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。

. v- z0 a$ o0 |2 i( ?: S" zShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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7 ]2 w. k  Q( b! X% ?% m# w8 MShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

( j" Y6 |4 a8 l6 ^) F动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

/ L7 u$ H& E3 D动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

% U9 q5 M/ e9 ~4 A* R0 V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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3 u" Y2 U" Q( I2 l0 [5 j7 |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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* I  N7 d4 [: M. U$ Z; E: u& E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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1 u# k. M# T- @) E4 I# w6 _' z7 {It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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- J; l) a" r( a. u* r4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

% Y* e. @  {: a1 j+ e) g- tHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

+ D* J8 {- B0 U* ~4 v% G( `3 d1 a5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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0 Y* }2 B9 o+ AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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: H& }' [1 G; I+ s& i! \The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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. O# j( Y4 \: d; N9 [! C0 DIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.

: n! v  q: d2 [; c6. 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. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- l! A9 x' ]+ ^7 s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。

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;

live up to one’s reputation
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+ L: O; Z: e" l" Z! [* P$ h9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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' D% A% v  u6 q+ ]6 B: aMy 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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3 \6 y3 W0 L4 |& L8 ^天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

6 u+ a' |/ w( w$ S) C10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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3 o( Z# [) u# p1 K6 [2 t* eHe 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.

' r9 D2 y1 H+ t2 S: I: n1 J# A& g11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.

) w1 r. Q4 J2 {12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& t5 K: ?6 V# ~) g7 P& _4 GAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

1 Y, C0 Y" t# [( S% ~2 i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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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! g) w/ o  n# W+ |With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

( L( d( n1 N" d+ S- ^* k扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.

8 a- q- w" |0 H" N' b! B  ]: z; I15. 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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  a: [/ E+ f. P7 v/ @7 E* U' Y16. “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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Talk 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.

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

$ B! _" z( V: |9 Z' T17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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) D; i" s  a: O' eI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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+ _+ z# ~/ V0 d# l哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

: g' t# h" x# J% p' d/ c9 B4 L18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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  T# t& L+ r/ r: xHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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: C- s& Y. W- o* h: ~3 b! h胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

4 |/ W  A" ~4 J! a/ U" h; q! x# P9 M* V19. 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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9 f4 T2 E6 i8 G% zThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

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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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!
( R9 r  {# {; ?- ~8 k0 sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗