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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- T% I$ N0 ?# B$ N& m" IShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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: @# Q/ _- o7 V; V4 aShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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- `4 }7 h+ }+ X# j2 }动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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5 y0 _9 q$ d2 I+ T% \4 v动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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# |5 @6 n7 \9 o3 a  z- U) T" z动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

( N2 T7 x( r5 d1 o刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 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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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
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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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2 e& ?: G. C" e7 H, t0 O/ m4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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2 O8 G1 ?5 b3 w8 o% THe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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 y  Z* t9 E5 H) G, ?+ y) h+ @# w! b3 k5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

7 a( H7 s& w" ]1 ]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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

4 g! r: y0 |$ R; W4 c, }9 Y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。

+ A! f+ R# M. i( O7 qHe 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.

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

- {4 K# N* F" d* i- D+ a& |3 C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

( M% _: ~% s" `9 L/ E名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

; O/ Z# Q" Q# ^+ F& w% m2 P. Udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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: }+ ^( y+ ?0 Z' m$ J* l: Slive 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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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.”
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8 B  K! ?6 `! Z! r4 X+ W* `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”。

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.
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/ m. {' B/ g3 G9 A' ?11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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3 u# o# G5 x( o5 ?( L  m% RTom 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.
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, o0 Q5 H  Y2 O; C12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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, }8 d; i* C7 o  ~2 g% ?' E( JAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

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.

# V) j: q2 H% n& [; h5 r8 N% m) J13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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' [9 o0 N: G* }2 o9 nWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

  \/ A+ }/ {% R: i1 @+ P8 @) e! p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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1 \- u3 U# \1 `% D2 P. f15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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; o& z# @& N7 G) e1 |" c16. “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.
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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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6 u7 s9 {9 s8 p, q+ a1 m借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

/ S- d' p, S. V3 u: U煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

- D! b/ j1 V7 K. H8 \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

/ P) q/ t5 n7 D6 G8 \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.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

* w$ C5 s, O: g) y5 \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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! p$ W0 N5 f% l' J' k- CThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

  U8 W* D2 j1 T, \5 ?The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

7 `) Q% S+ Y+ U5 _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

. O; {% o6 B- N, q: n  D上周日中午你去大统华了吗