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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3 ^& ]' T, Y& I# L9 D8 N/ SShe 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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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1 i& x; Z. d' R7 Q- w' C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

$ j4 @; m  L$ t8 }5 t( I" g他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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' @( c  I% c2 _" q+ `" i+ V* K' T刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

# \' ~* I  c( p9 ~: B  M! q2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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8 r, o- E0 N( W8 q- ^He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* ^: [5 F1 |# C+ A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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2 U+ Q, y" Y7 C: Jrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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  b0 v+ B9 V" h) U+ _2 Y/ i3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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. S: g6 ]8 Y, w6 T# p' n& P( }It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 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.

1 {( n1 H3 l/ W; T% p石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

! P- B/ n8 P& U# S5 \* Z5. 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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7 G+ U* K5 f4 Y% A( b" V% V, HThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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1 H5 h- i2 H4 W: E( G$ \/ }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.

5 t, N" x* F5 [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 {) e6 l" m- _! g+ g9 ]' f# p: \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.

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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% T$ h: V6 [5 P" t, X: Q2 s名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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, j( O; x( O. ^+ elive up to one’s reputation
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; |4 l" \% b* ~& z6 W3 H9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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# @* l8 x# e7 t+ s1 A$ g: G  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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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9 q* I  g9 E& a9 A% \* {8 THe 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.
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; D; m- O  `% U1 t! _2 S, O3 {0 H11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

7 a* _2 u( k7 s5 w$ oTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

5 m9 _2 d: w' ~! ~) H% F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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

0 I. ]4 ?2 u4 a0 ~) j2 S' A0 b7 {All good things must come to end.

% d9 g, r8 C: R1 n/ ~/ MAll 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.

) a% {$ S+ h) O+ c: C7 {$ x13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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, R1 N" M0 K+ D5 ~7 W' `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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) J& Q+ _6 p  v/ M0 z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

- }, N$ _2 a& R% g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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) u. a1 q% h' l: ]15. 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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+ g, R2 I* M4 m! t16. “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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  ~5 K, G- z' w7 wTalk 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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- E5 R5 Z8 N) y% z) }7 Z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。
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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

. h/ ~& l3 s4 [; ^+ ]18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

3 C: R8 l2 H' n  E2 l& R# XHe 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

" S& _( _5 B+ F% z% b) d) |8 X& f19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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( Z/ i3 ?% X9 QThe 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。
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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