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.

' y# u0 s2 S5 Y* o3 k; }& BShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

/ c0 M4 I( k9 J! U# Y/ g, u2 L动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

- D  t% u5 c& ?0 R4 w4 H4 a动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.
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$ T2 w+ ~9 [/ E( o, V  Y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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0 a+ `- p! [& s. v, a# qHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

4 l" u( X& m( H" a+ ~refuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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0 R, ]( q+ v$ E4 q4. 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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石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

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.
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& Y% A7 F1 }3 g+ `* oThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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: f. c2 f- Y; G) t! |1 B+ lIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

, B3 ~+ V% ^, K; g1 W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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

- Q+ p4 a. \; m% T3 a8 j+ W7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

- G* [; f. h1 u7 R: \$ fThis 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.
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% T# v' t( j# q- S& t8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

& F/ B% E3 `' F6 @, \1 D: N5 K名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

) M, i7 F) _2 }% t2 Ydeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation
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  C" v0 g$ V- i9 h% K1 x9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

8 f) d' X* {, \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’.”

8 t  s* ^5 ~# l画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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Tom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

# L; \# _1 Y# I3 f' QAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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5 I, L& z8 E% h9 _13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

! m. l  q  O5 YWith 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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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3 w& p2 b  F) d7 _/ N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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; U1 L7 L1 Z$ ^' k15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ c. R5 W0 D' pA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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! C+ h6 f; O& ~* k2 o9 g16. “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。

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.

; D2 }4 d+ c1 @# t) x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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; V9 e2 D7 }+ f" n! ^煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

- Z2 y; q/ o: N17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

3 g6 v& J0 u7 M: \: B, nI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

4 j  l5 _% g/ J哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

, f7 H2 g* @; A  j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

+ N$ m; n9 V1 |6 i( ~* K9 O+ Y- {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
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19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

! I5 L. q: `, I( }2 ^2 J- `The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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" C* e- S1 M5 @: c$ UThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

, p4 a8 m, t: k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。
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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!
9 p: S- k& M/ D* s* rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

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