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.
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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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4 U9 T. O5 U  j! t) G" G7 `% C$ z) h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.
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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.

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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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1 Z! N" s" a+ M* s4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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+ ?* n1 l8 B" xHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

  N* }4 S. q& i4 q/ Y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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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9 H) W; S! Y$ ^' z& a4 c" |The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

) C6 z; ~+ k- e, [: [0 bIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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1 m* K; q/ L! {" Y) m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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; a( [4 \9 G4 }  nHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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8 D3 D! _# x5 F- iThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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& U" H6 r3 I8 u& M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。

+ J3 F) l+ M) p! w2 RIt’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;
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/ s8 [3 i: U$ j; J" Z' elive up to one’s reputation

( X) [9 }: B. ?6 u( s5 G) Q3 x% y! A9. 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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* x! g: F; d; s3 o天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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, T: P- X8 x) o5 q* Q10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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3 J( I; o  _* KHe 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.

2 P7 ~0 f+ w- U9 z# a0 @11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

4 O- z) d( l( S2 W% J3 VTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

1 C$ s+ p: q7 k9 @/ B; T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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4 ?6 b1 [# O7 y6 f! [/ v* z12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

7 ~0 l! u: |3 nAll feasts must come to an end.
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9 q1 Y8 d/ X0 ~! F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 i# s# m+ }# b& N13. 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.
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扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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9 g+ F3 n! C6 i+ ^2 i14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

1 D4 R2 X" F( P- R( T9 k& e4 O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。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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8 i4 ~4 E2 P6 |1 P8 q$ x% y16. “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。

8 Y# b# U$ ?+ W8 U) H9 ?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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: m% s5 d% t1 a9 l4 D9 A* a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.

  ?- j' L8 L: `; t借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

+ s0 t1 C+ S# e7 H* |4 c- w煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# B8 _" y2 H+ z2 _, L6 D  F17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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6 W: ~( w- J3 @8 {7 ^( |I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

0 K( u9 J) S/ P哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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) C/ ?. w8 ^  u9 k2 X9 \( f3 c  w  O18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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! W: n. I& n' {: A7 jHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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& G/ j3 i: S  ?; Q  ]3 P# Y( Q" U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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

2 G% v% w" x. {% D$ g5 u% Y扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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2 ~5 W0 W% }7 Q  j20. 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。

# V; w* a6 x! X- l5 mHe 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