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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" D1 I" S$ G' lShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

4 S& s% a$ V) i* B- v/ m' ^0 XShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

' W' }/ m1 S1 C5 c动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

6 D! n5 R2 S- ]% b( e$ ^5 v他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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! W9 b* Q) \8 ?+ E6 ^$ P, @' \1 G刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

5 e7 j4 X8 [+ X4 h- N2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

, V, d1 G% K; r. [+ d! LHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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2 f" Q1 e/ @! V$ A$ V不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

, _# n% E' A  G* `- E; s% vIt 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.
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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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

' V* A6 @  t* `  e  O" ZIf 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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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.
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5 |% ?3 R) S: ?2 }, h2 d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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2 y  _  V3 K/ Z  c( m5 mThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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。

; s1 g2 f. d2 x4 j) {It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ n5 k( u& A7 T; A名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

8 U" u& c4 i5 H( ?deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
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- j2 \: c. |% a- p! V2 F$ [  L# T9. 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.”

, [) f% A. q0 R/ I7 d天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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# D  _+ |$ n+ f10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

5 y# `- R; ~6 E2 r8 d/ Z' p; fHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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# J+ I  G4 L4 U# R. C7 z4 v: a4 G画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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" L! [$ U" c, _- H* \6 d! L5 m3 E' I. W11. 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.

% T% g: n/ X4 C1 ]# J( 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。

" ]3 T; R$ m0 |( f1 T; j+ MAll good things must come to end.

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.
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13. 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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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

  u0 R' Q' z  _4 _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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, \" d1 q- E9 w: |# h7 ~: iTalk 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.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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6 F; ?9 C: n- I& h/ ^% V$ L17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 N$ n+ H8 T2 A4 v9 {: uI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

9 z  K1 T! B3 }0 U3 W6 P- Y* y哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 U) O0 j. L, P8 @18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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2 S7 d- h. N- z7 _, T19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

7 i) \% N5 R1 J! Y& HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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! a- U+ k  T) S+ D0 {The 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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5 }6 r1 v0 t2 W- E9 o9 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。
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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

; r" p% P) b$ ]- C上周日中午你去大统华了吗