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。

) U& w$ L, V- q  a2 e0 `( TShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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8 r2 _" }6 s! ]/ l- M+ D- {  ?( F动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

/ m' j$ e% r4 b- m0 n8 B动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

! Q3 c. t2 H( U/ Q% s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

" ^  ^; t$ p' Z3 v他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

& b+ K/ P7 v& c& s) X2 L刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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: u! P+ R) _" y# i2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

$ v6 P1 L9 k+ c' V, WHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 U: I( X1 ~$ b/ r  K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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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.

# ^5 {# y$ a& ^4 Z& }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.
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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.

1 \# \- ~$ x& ~8 C! QThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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8 a  m4 i; b' q0 {" 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.

1 ]  a. j% W1 @/ Z/ H- }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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

) F, V8 _' u9 h) m# cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

+ {. A, n- f7 R2 g! D9. 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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2 n' `. I% S( }1 V7 @10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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+ p$ z" F' F# c+ D( c7 ]" xHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

% Z/ Y" t; u0 c1 J4 ?/ m' G0 R0 T$ W画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

% `1 w% `3 [4 J; B11. 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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* H! \3 W& Q4 |( s" i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。

' S+ ^$ ?) v3 |6 O) A: FAll good things must come to end.
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All 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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1 i0 c  c/ A6 M! R! y4 z13. 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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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6 x/ D4 A" @4 w" i, O/ }14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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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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.

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

3 H/ @6 U$ J0 Y6 ]! A3 K% B0 W7 I1 B煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

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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! W/ O. ^! d$ N+ ~  N: f$ o哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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" E( M! @( I5 B) Q* W* U7 h, DHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

5 v& K" \, W; ^* ?8 S4 o# x胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

1 V9 B/ k, ]* d) |& D- l: t- z19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The 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.

: Q( R+ t. c$ r. a. q" X, |, O7 W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!
- V: q7 c% z: S- Dbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗