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。

8 W, V: [% w% @0 R! \She 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.

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

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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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6 I* x5 V* Q5 v7 g3 v0 s! KHe 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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7 Q' P: R+ j3 @8 Krefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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9 W+ M4 _8 h  R3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

! a8 @: Y1 a/ z( m' g1 m7 h2 Z3 c4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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9 w% W* h" h. H1 q1 G石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5 {8 r$ {( N9 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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

) B6 s: [7 d, {If 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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* }3 s" z$ t: X6. 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.

7 P5 }1 u' `5 y* L' u1 z4 i  S9 e; `7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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' }% Y1 B3 a8 M8 c5 y# H. wThis 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.

1 B3 G5 U5 q1 C$ z  {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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

0 c. l, k9 C/ @3 \1 p7 p! Q9. 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.
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4 t7 s4 i2 g" H! a# r8 }10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

0 s$ O, l' |. \. p; v/ z( E1 E3 u) MHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

1 @2 E/ v/ U0 M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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0 g, S9 N* O* d  ]* W* V; q5 aTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

# o: \% M7 w7 G, f' }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.

% k" ?. d9 s* `/ X9 n12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.
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! T; P8 d8 M5 C. |# d6 IAll feasts must come to an end.

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.

, O( C3 `8 j! |5 h. F! \1 L2 R5 q8 c13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

3 I% f0 r) g/ o. I# {) [  M  e扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

1 R8 _; p; ], e% {$ A; r( a* \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.

- w4 u/ N) _) G: N. E15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

  h9 f* V# s) W& {2 M$ l16. “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。

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.

( E. x; [) K/ n! U! @- v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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% z- V' @1 ?5 ]* c) L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。
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. k4 a3 b6 A  W$ L/ e7 nI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

  |! J( y" Z5 X8 Z  K4 G哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

! ^" F0 S$ j9 I6 l18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

9 C1 d' P2 l+ L6 G7 [( Y" t/ w& I8 jHe 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
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/ x" M2 n7 R6 y19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

( c6 T( [" }# V% q) G: VThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

, W) h; M6 F: k" W1 z! j3 m, H, aThe 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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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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1 r" \: T. @! KHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) L! N! I4 Z& d+ |$ R# u1 q8 Wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

: v/ }0 j* I# d/ g: o4 w) b上周日中午你去大统华了吗