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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/ l: q) x. v1 h; D4 R- ]- L, CShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

' Y, V* q, G6 h+ J' T6 G; G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

0 v5 Z, z% l; ?- \$ I刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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5 n. Z: O2 Y/ y! j' b7 I! x  yHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

1 g' v6 M' m4 L5 J4 _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

4 Y8 i' c8 n$ n3 L9 S  y; m7 H; z* Q3. 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.

6 d8 n$ F' f) q: V4 K% Y2 O  u4. 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.
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" `0 M% u$ b3 @6 b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.

2 z% Q) p( ^! ^/ q! RIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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2 ^8 s2 i' o: 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.
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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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5 _" P8 @: _+ @' R7 g8 }He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

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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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 R2 V7 G/ L) |: q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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& H2 j& w5 ~# [- ?' e8 V  E; pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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" J  i) Q7 V, X; u. Tdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”

8 r- s2 _  I* }* |2 o: e4 s2 K9 oMy 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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) j+ L/ i2 C( r. r2 c3 r2 w% Z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”。

3 b+ Z) `1 N, kHe 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。
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0 s4 a  D, c4 W5 Q  BTom 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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+ Z1 Y8 |. E( h6 s' M8 _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.

. o: p2 \5 `) y) h1 I  a12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

1 m; k8 y% N) 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.

3 q% I6 T6 C3 T6 C7 W. S; J" F6 h13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

& @9 U- i4 ~: \; P* L' x% BWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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# S6 U- _3 {# b) c+ N9 ^: \- g6 h扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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: A& P0 g! m. P5 F- _6 |0 Q' g14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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1 u. g- M3 W, P) y* B9 Q) p2 l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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9 \7 ^/ n: Q. `6 l15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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" r; P, W0 p  R8 A- b) kA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

16. “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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! V4 G+ {+ @+ ITalk 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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

  h# k% G; x5 h1 Q6 I煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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' C2 ^$ B& \+ H6 r1 M17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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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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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

+ O  b( F( v. \He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

  T# K. ^" o- g5 X& Y! i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。
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9 {1 }, d6 `/ W; ^) b% JThe 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.
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5 l7 d. G; r/ I" P  Z扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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  x2 i  B$ i- G( M20. 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!
# {5 C0 u! d5 W2 H8 D& p( @billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗