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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3 w! l* T5 D& s; t4 d. KShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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" e' t; H# |% x- {6 e* v2 w动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

  E& {* a" Z/ R1 v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 D+ F2 i9 f1 @7 Q5 j$ j5 r2. 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;
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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

6 u8 i0 q0 D3 O) X4 E  P8 `It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4 a6 Y/ }: c( k4 y% }4. 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.
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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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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  c' s& Z; t$ M/ |0 o# G+ qThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

6 t3 z, O3 K# n! [6 d$ lIf 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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' z1 o. Z; f% F6. 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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$ |* t- n% e; l7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

  L2 Z( U# t( `' E; b5 w- x; P* hThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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' Q' p2 `/ k$ @+ l+ l% K1 s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。
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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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* f$ f( N& w5 B( v) A& Gdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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/ \6 m1 N- _% ?8 Dlive up to one’s reputation

% v0 J9 m( b) o4 Q+ q$ \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.”

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”。
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He 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.

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.

* \: Q3 K/ X/ T9 \& r1 x0 p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.

, J/ M0 ]$ S) A1 a. Q4 S4 l12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

% k5 R6 _6 j% AAll feasts must come to an end.
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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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2 |: x. }$ v( n9 O/ R, o( cWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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  J) P( V. |. ]) t扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.
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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.
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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.

. G8 M) N  V, U- s9 T借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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) A& f7 I0 j8 E& H( ~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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

6 Y, r( p2 D: }; G: 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。
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

# u3 m, q$ ?2 f' sThe 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
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+ U5 Y+ Y3 ~2 j5 I6 O  j: N8 ?, P20. 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

) y2 n7 {. e: {3 l: y) t) x( m上周日中午你去大统华了吗