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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; ?5 N4 R# P3 S+ @* W8 q/ eShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

2 l% ]" I+ k1 A; }* C动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

0 g: B6 t. Q9 S4 _+ g: Q- G& R' b动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 F: S, [6 J: U$ C9 t1 J; t动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

  A. x' s3 F( {. n) B他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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) J4 i& z. Q+ }刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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2 `: h7 S+ N" i8 C- ?0 ~% ?2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 }: B4 U& t* ^' B+ G) b7 mHe 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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6 I3 r4 l$ m+ ]+ F1 xrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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9 l4 \* k, w% n3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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! f% M& w' x, D# h' ?  a0 xIt 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.

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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  M6 \% H/ Y) _, N+ B5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

& F( |4 m6 A$ Q% C2 S' @. rThe 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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; x2 L- w5 g# l- ^& Z1 O' Q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.

, g" h2 Q* e* z; L, B, S6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

: P5 K; x7 T& {1 c+ z7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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7 R# E* v) N9 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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" h5 E8 ?# b" E. {7 m/ U. n2 U4 ?It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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, j( A% B1 P' A" A- J( V名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- W  r$ H3 w, J) y+ Q$ h6 Qdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

1 D7 H$ W: Z2 k10. 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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! i) z& L! V' x# R: b1 D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。

" a0 x: \- `& x# X3 `2 YTom 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.

0 V9 a+ c- W+ \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

% `" e6 W# m  LAll good things must come to end.

$ D$ K, [5 d, n/ Q3 k8 XAll feasts must come to an end.

9 ~( o  g8 g$ X: z: }( k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.

/ \8 x+ P8 i5 p  ~$ M, }6 R13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

( ]1 s7 f( B+ d" iWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

: @% s7 Q2 A" v% q$ m4 d8 y14. 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.
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$ q" Z1 P; b/ S% H15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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5 m0 D6 G/ B" A7 Q4 dA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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" a) ~. Y8 V% kTalk 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.

3 t6 `  {' p: B+ _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.

! K# ~  w- _9 t/ k. K3 |4 s8 y! Q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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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3 ?: H9 v- u' z: o3 e) w4 kI 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.

; d* i  Q9 [1 d6 |8 D( f5 T% p胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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; P: A) }% v/ N0 r5 f# C# b9 |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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% [; n; m' i/ QThe 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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9 _8 A+ S' a% O6 i  ?6 L扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

3 Z& E* f! Z$ J9 }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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
/ {2 X: A7 o4 r4 h# _billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗