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。

; y6 _+ c+ ~/ j" f1 v/ OShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

, I; b* {9 A( b. j& lShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 F4 a+ l' W) ~, T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

4 ]2 E1 V2 b/ B. U* N' M$ y" b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

/ \) s9 W  d; S6 ]: U8 |7 F2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

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;
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8 d0 h7 w$ Q& n6 s: drefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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1 i; i+ m0 `0 B2 s2 o3. 十年树木，百年树人。

* j3 N* J8 o4 I" \& u' Y( 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.

' F2 H& h) t2 n; H石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

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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# Q% v# B, p1 J! E. iThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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7 }! B; R' E, VIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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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0 @/ f$ t) M% w1 C6. 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.

4 M) v6 W( \1 R3 q: T2 f7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. S0 R6 ~# \# @' y* ]! r+ W$ i: qThis 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

7 x1 c0 T9 Q6 G( x( Z- F# A) ~5 zIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

( T3 S4 ]1 I- C  `0 O; p7 Q名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

3 D5 W; r2 }; sdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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* ~6 `" a. m+ B, U( Dlive up to one’s reputation

6 P7 [) C& P" g* W/ i3 q. |+ e) M9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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4 ^0 a/ h% f& F6 d! lMy 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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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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/ X1 u$ m" b1 O# ?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’.”

* m, y& Q( Z' d$ f画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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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.

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.

* T9 }! h+ A- `  j- g1 [6 v9 U12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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* S  [4 @' }! E( ?1 }( d  p6 L- o' ~All feasts must come to an end.
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( ?9 M: {9 U) ?& n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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9 D4 s" ]" K' [2 W13. 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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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

5 R4 @/ f& S" z6 y9 ]A leopard can’t change its spots.
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7 F9 v! u$ |$ z! R  r! Y0 c6 a江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

  s, K& \. Z/ B( l& |6 w15. 吃一堑，长一智。

* @0 Y% b) f% W" |' s# mA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

- b: h1 b5 K$ H+ h16. “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。

( h& _: {3 ~' g* U4 ]1 }0 ^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.

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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17. 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.

  V. }& X, z7 a2 y4 B* t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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4 J0 v0 o3 d. m. z1 j1 _) N' VHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。
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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.
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" |( G$ b/ J" q. `6 Y1 D/ l. E  M5 s扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。
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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!
& E1 {( q1 s8 hbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗