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。

" _# T% O' M0 L7 m  Z/ zShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She 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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# \- w9 Y, \) C) ]& E: f  H  h4 S动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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4 q+ o/ v1 P# d5 H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.

+ ^5 {' l' B; x6 s0 _0 o2 J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;

2 f1 C& T: Z  s" k6 r& p& `refuse to give up until all hope is gone

+ N, s0 d5 ^/ a# ~% W; W3. 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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* o0 x, h8 n( C! M! @4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

. V% M& g! e) D+ s* vHe 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.

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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4 e# S3 L6 w) a7 VThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If 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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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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3 [/ _/ T; H) n7 v3 l2 q; XHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

. B; s# _/ k' O# V% O( d4 z. w8 uThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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5 T" N, q, ?0 [+ P张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

9 D# j  _( k" _6 j& j9 j  \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;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

* f/ t3 q9 R' t( {' a( |9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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7 s. y* D; [  V- QMy 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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- U* m. E/ O, r6 \+ |He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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9 @9 f3 h% u* c( }6 A4 `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。

. e: y, I* a/ I6 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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. i& Z9 M, z+ u: I/ d: ]All good things must come to end.

* X; b8 B5 a/ pAll feasts must come to an end.
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$ v! h7 O9 F/ S( D; A8 x1 C  p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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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* D4 W! S5 j7 @, @+ g* nWith 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.

! o2 R5 E! }4 R. g; B3 W& E14. 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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# f$ D, z( O# a# I% G$ Z2 ^* D7 g15. 吃一堑，长一智。

5 r" c- z1 u' x2 L) s: gA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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! V* B. J, ]1 J3 N16. “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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1 L* I8 U+ `5 Z' c8 m- p; t/ UTalk 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.

- B( i4 f6 ?  A9 M% l5 W1 d4 {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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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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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/ S0 _+ t5 G& BI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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9 f* \* I- |$ M" ?4 L0 q) ]/ m哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 ^; T3 _. u8 i% g/ P: l8 {7 K7 Y18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

% B6 Q# q5 O- Q4 O. Q  ?. z) n6 H/ F胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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/ {$ [- m# D' p+ m19. 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.

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

8 ^2 M" Z3 T# p$ ^1 R扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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' [, ]9 y# J7 v  f6 s20. 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。

& s5 Q# R. x) L' j5 G: I5 ZHe 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