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。

2 q9 n$ C. t4 ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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6 a' L/ [( h' l" P/ T" lShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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1 y9 m) e4 [) [* |  A( Q/ t动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

/ d( X! \# c+ E/ e. }动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

$ w* ?. k/ H$ F- Q6 _# Y7 C他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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: j9 k1 E% {: c3 X刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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# v7 ~7 e. r6 x9 k! Q6 Y$ O* E2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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- |3 M+ ~" q, Q" R2 J0 {; JHe 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;

' N' }$ J7 l$ D1 {4 ^refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 I; Z' F! _9 t, ?+ p3. 十年树木，百年树人。

# V+ O) @: y7 R3 K" v( o- {( GIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

8 k8 k7 A& z5 v& J4. 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.
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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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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2 b: ^# M6 ~, @, {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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  \2 T$ I. h. W3 oHe 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。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& e' d- n( `! }9 i1 f* V张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

; V8 m: P8 L3 s' R' \8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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0 e( [' b3 b) ]4 b5 R$ UIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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( E. g8 H* U) b9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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4 F0 C. e$ w0 o7 n9 hMy 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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9 E; t( J) S' C* h# u天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

: r: B: o" _# {' Q1 x* g10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

) |: `$ q! ^. J  K. t9 `+ OHe 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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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.

( D7 {( W' E# {12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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, A- ~3 f; u/ N# m0 B  BAll 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.

' F8 F) l4 d7 Y4 |7 Z, G13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

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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, V, I. j/ F0 L1 \# n9 B- x14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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( H& M9 v: Y+ N# f4 ^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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A 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。

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.
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' K! n* d( a5 O5 T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.

$ n2 s+ f0 P. r( d! A煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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: p" H, G( z8 Z. D" @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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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& v, a3 g! P( e5 C5 L4 sHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

) S  v5 W* o, W( A( x; r) G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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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.
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! z# _4 U. C$ d& p. ~扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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; n6 b2 W& L" Z* |8 a* w( J: y20. 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。

9 |; l) h7 L2 v, n: Y9 xHe 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