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。
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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

# x- ?3 k* |7 K, E& W" W) ?  \She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

5 z* x3 D0 r$ y9 r3 E2 Z( B动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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! _" \8 r/ u3 v: i- L7 A3 O5 B1 a/ `动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

& e* N3 n4 I& 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.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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) h( G9 g) o& K2. 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.

! w2 r, \0 e% R$ ^不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

" Y3 G  `6 ?! }# z2 i4 ~& G  brefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

3 L8 I8 v  ]# V5 nIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

' {# E( z) p; Z8 U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

& a3 f8 o5 A, K; MHe 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.

3 d6 [% a: w, W+ K0 o( u) T) a- x5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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+ b& F) ?# ^( _! bThe 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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

, \  M0 @& x% V* ^7 ~; _$ o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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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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  ?: P5 W: E6 ~7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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( `$ c1 F7 I! iThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

1 ^7 d+ ]0 ~# k9 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.
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6 k; R/ X+ h: r; u% q) U, ?5 ?; E8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

3 b# H! d1 a# I/ G名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

8 m- l4 [6 M) P" }# p( Z5 d. t' ~0 Adeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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! d* j, y  f7 Y$ \+ H/ hlive 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。”
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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.”

3 r! P% q- r1 ~0 S- E7 r5 N' i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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: M9 ~; ~7 N7 s, X- A/ }! j- ?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.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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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.
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3 \4 ?/ ?' j3 s; j% D0 J, A12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All 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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6 e! i- W( d  }, u7 b, N13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

0 P) O: J$ Q+ @- |8 I6 AWith 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.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

9 D. u/ F4 W! _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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A 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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$ Z3 _; h1 l  aTalk 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.

/ b8 V" J0 `/ t/ m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.

5 G  z+ R9 [8 G% h" _, c' {: 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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( p% M2 m  H/ O8 v0 q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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" w+ S# B# l3 N, U& Q9 iI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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2 ^; b3 i+ x$ w8 Y# j6 z& Y, w$ q哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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1 o5 k) c* B' {4 I& p1 ?$ \" F18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

# A( b% R1 U! F19. 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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2 I6 I- j7 H  U) O. w' s, kThe 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.

. @5 j) M- m! |- }扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

- h% t" v& J: F7 m9 }9 r6 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!
& l. L7 f& l1 e7 `: `billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

$ r: ^* [/ }0 z4 V* W上周日中午你去大统华了吗