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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4 m+ u" Q& |5 v  t. u3 |  z8 |1 FShe 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.
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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
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+ p  M- f- B1 }2 Y4 M0 W2 ?他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

. E7 U9 v+ j7 U- urefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; L  n% y2 }4 P2 nIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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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.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

8 K3 b% C3 Y$ o5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( C4 Q3 f- J1 }, `, G  n( e* ^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.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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8 W& P- l4 g# {. n4 A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.

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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, a4 S8 F! h0 S* e7 T$ v; f7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

; n" C5 \1 s0 ^7 V" kThis 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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

+ ~0 {' ~! K. z+ g0 T5 h0 pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

. V  W7 a1 [# F. c* S2 b3 D天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 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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% X# Z( v& Z0 t. q* h# X5 z画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

1 G! D, A) \  |" ]4 d2 M9 D11. 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.
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2 a# U. b$ e6 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.

- a3 [, Z4 v& F" U4 B% f, a9 |12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

7 N% T( `$ i$ \( x( s3 WAll 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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. N. G. I9 P- g) {! W" w13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

1 _$ G9 j, |% p/ B& W3 Z8 h) M$ }With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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( t1 N/ o. W. W. H" e) D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.

3 F. B$ S# k6 v/ `, i15. 吃一堑，长一智。

3 O: d& L: s! i, S! i4 |1 N6 }  VA 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。

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.
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  P& P) y, \/ B借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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/ z* O7 @' o) b8 r5 Q/ _! W; n煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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9 Q2 X9 ?* X. _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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; y- \8 m1 w7 C) M& nI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

6 M/ \% _% R9 u( u# R8 \哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

' D5 C4 E+ m1 ^& m1 f% T5 k5 U18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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2 U8 S3 Q7 B& N8 l6 mHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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' W! U6 B8 _9 u) g# g5 e- h, i8 {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。

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.

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。

3 c9 ^7 z2 O  k* l& o1 x% e# hHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
+ D- y8 ?( P) }billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

8 s) H0 V  G6 f0 e& b上周日中午你去大统华了吗