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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2 W6 [# d/ _) Q9 IShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

" ^$ E6 T" N  H) ZShe 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

  f0 u+ }1 y. L- ~* e动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

0 w3 |) \% v5 x动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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

" F- b7 n2 \: L( G) Z- @. p' k+ F2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

" Z# C. J+ R& I5 b* v3 q) KHe 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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

4 {; r) X) ?4 u$ R( p1 C7 j3. 十年树木，百年树人。

! g* @  E; d+ 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.

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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& u$ o5 o7 e7 j$ ^" @7 J7 F2 V5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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& g$ o* S0 Y, }* [The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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- }: |1 k3 l# T7 W4 xThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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' ?$ C% B* I. c$ l% zIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

; C( S7 y( }' T8 d) 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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0 c- l5 [+ L7 B& Z6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

+ V1 k  o7 p; Q2 d: R+ ZHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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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.
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2 J3 e$ E. t9 y1 s名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

: W! r* \8 c% l0 @7 ~- \; F! n# Klive 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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

$ j- y  S- O; W4 Q. P9 u+ D- C: Y10. 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.

  {3 Z/ L. V5 x" |11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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  A3 l7 }' @6 \, S  O+ eTom 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。

# l- z$ ?" D7 W. t* c' h7 H; m( sAll good things must come to end.

9 {5 v8 M9 b# _- C) GAll feasts must come to an end.

6 I1 H0 h5 J- ^1 |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 k7 `- F- P" f/ _0 E! G, u13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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4 }, K6 {$ S: k( G4 BWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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3 W$ I2 H# }. ]) @( d, R; U. Y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.
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7 n& L9 q) ~8 \* a' h4 [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。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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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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.

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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( A: _" t& B8 ?/ L0 X% ]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.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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, A8 x3 \! h! F  c1 e* `He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

2 G* R  N) G0 Z( N4 E3 A  H胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

" N! D# ]# `- l) I8 |19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

# ?$ Z& l, V* F6 nThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

- a/ K& Y1 u9 c# g! C) C0 XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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# K% q% o" a' f! X( O20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗