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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2 x5 J3 r. R% c8 D5 [! hShe 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
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! _& F1 E# L- Y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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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

$ A* u: n. p$ m9 ?) Z. N5 Z7 F2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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! u" N! {/ w9 N) B$ W. SHe 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;

! @) P+ D- ?1 F; m- h2 ]refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

9 w& ?8 @! t+ GIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

' B; m4 `; N7 D& e# i4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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0 \* S1 ]. w% q5 `6 b9 lHe 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.

+ e( d! ?! K- v* F5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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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+ b' l! J& p6 J. T9 MIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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! u& I' E( Z5 r! }, S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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6 Y8 q" d, X# v% ]* FHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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0 V, p" u" u3 I/ n8 v7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

8 N# ]2 S$ K6 LThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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5 ]$ z; C, B; _% I* `8 M6 q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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7 l; o+ ^( Q' x  @7 x8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

% K) k0 }' q! y4 g: H& ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

2 O' H. I; @  R) ]8 \  u名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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* T4 U7 f4 C* J" v9 Elive 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。”

0 H; H1 n* G1 `5 B. q2 |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.

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’.”
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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

4 M8 C) ^! r# {5 A) Z11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

. Q' T& E: [+ F7 T0 |4 NTom 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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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。

All good things must come to end.
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' O9 ^9 T) d9 b& L% `( @' dAll 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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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

  q0 P& G4 }" B( x9 H4 \, \, [; V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.

9 ?8 c  e1 y; X, _15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

! b3 u; @0 c8 `2 G16. “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 t& v8 Y. h$ D' ^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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( G2 x+ X0 r' N" W- r1 F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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' J8 X+ C$ F# S9 X7 d借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

* D7 w4 O: j( E5 x* {煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

5 X0 ?& D9 q3 y% E) N4 B  R7 t17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

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。
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9 K5 ?' t2 F+ T; v2 hHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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& l8 k/ F$ d- Q1 X5 I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。

  B: K7 B% n) EThe 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.
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. M! ^# o. I7 ^9 f8 ]扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

5 Z7 J  l5 h8 e; Y: e20. 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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- l4 i9 B% y4 H7 tHe 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