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.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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, N* U# N4 P, {- |+ E7 u动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

& a! U: l7 n, e* e5 _5 T( ]1 F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.

9 R( U7 ~9 }: b% O1 S$ I. G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.

! t% O$ M3 U4 r, L/ v0 n% o+ P# E不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

1 }0 m. a6 o3 ~& w' k, i' }3 xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

8 k+ ?/ Q; F1 F1 o9 I/ l8 J5 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.
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8 G8 V3 b+ a" A4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

4 i1 U$ J; H* D. ]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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

- Q& z. O0 z- v" m; I8 x/ cIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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0 g/ A: G, C1 _. ~+ _4 ^) F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.

$ m6 H) a4 T6 _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.

$ I. Q. V  }/ p! j! Z0 W2 {* y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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2 [. b3 }0 [5 |7 z9 A4 V4 xThis 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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5 }1 X9 {1 B, Y6 o+ w# A4 h$ O. g8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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" C2 j2 n, f0 A+ g- K& t# EIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

; @: y  W! i! ]9 P# Adeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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$ R' Q* X$ T! W0 n. E6 i! G10. 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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2 F: w8 ~$ Z6 A( C* r; ~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。

! V2 D0 s2 F  w4 h2 S: H# mTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

5 n' `- H8 T9 K  y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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$ n7 j# \! x, _) F0 P9 I# ?+ B12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

( {( z- L1 G9 F9 I) h4 H$ d6 hAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
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( F: b! k4 W' c" s4 @& N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 w* E  q1 ~' U7 G" a+ Z; E2 e9 J/ w13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

4 x- v. C/ a% F8 g% T  O2 K6 _With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

9 n; Q% a# h2 ~& e, i% n9 Z/ w2 t扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

( l1 O( j$ v" V, x14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

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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; h  Z. E; c. Z. D' f8 ~& p: C5 I15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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/ j' W6 E3 U  L) Z% bA 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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2 `' s, ~, z$ X  ]: i+ Y" k7 LTalk 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.
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% S3 c& i0 O0 z/ |" Y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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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, k  @5 i1 }9 w) |7 ]哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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+ u8 e5 J( |5 R* A18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

. _) ^. X5 _, `5 t: K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。
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  i9 X7 X/ N. L$ }8 EThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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/ @# J2 J3 v  ~0 KThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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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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) C" U5 r! K8 tHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
0 }0 F2 p* s6 L3 Kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

) _/ Q: j' Y' O0 \0 R上周日中午你去大统华了吗