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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9 v, H% P3 A7 E& Y  K. N$ yShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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+ p2 ^3 e0 n( W: A( J( y+ M" B  U0 rShe 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

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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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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9 L/ q" P' n( ]3 |; I" \2. 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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

. N0 F1 n9 Q( |% ?$ y. x- @: x1 L3. 十年树木，百年树人。
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' G8 F7 e+ ~$ j9 LIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

4 X7 u3 G* j+ j% U5 Z+ X/ y1 PHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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3 }! a3 a% ?( A& j* B. \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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& C4 z) W) F3 {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.

+ \- V2 z/ G$ b; G) FThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

$ F' R2 [- q6 l" GIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

9 C) A" D8 ~: W0 |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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6 a9 F8 ]0 r1 c! zHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

- E& `* x7 B; A! ]7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

& ]8 d0 ?: W, G0 R( `: s$ ?张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

, g0 s6 z4 d4 S8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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  X; C8 J: R; TIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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$ H0 `7 O9 G* ^# H; @名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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- W* {( ~9 p  B  Hdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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# a/ i1 i7 T9 y. m: Ylive up to one’s reputation
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. {6 s+ Y0 Y( O: m: `6 J, T9. 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.”

* U. O+ F5 D4 j天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

2 Y1 d9 ]3 f) n8 M& C10. 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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2 M: M+ c6 l. U! P1 r1 t5 l" t4 a画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

& T) E; Z2 {- h5 C; F11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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( M; z! H% j6 ]/ I' o' n; ~Tom 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.
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! L; t& B8 C- @' K; O12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

6 a! m! m- r! p9 _All good things must come to end.

" z  q. X5 y$ I6 I9 L0 l$ k6 VAll feasts must come to an end.
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: ~( @, W6 n% u$ y6 E9 s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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

1 S5 Q. q5 ~3 c8 D. _5 X扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

) `! g" Z6 N8 W3 |: y14. 江山易改，本性难移。

: O3 k( E( F1 g" v/ k! y, EA 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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7 U) T5 A5 i' D( G15. 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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# d$ z$ k+ }4 n17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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8 O5 A' D1 t. a( U4 z- \I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

/ r, ^) c; n5 v" {* J# c8 G. p5 i哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

  D2 k' V( |  [18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

2 `' ~0 r1 o! YHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

8 Z# H) h! K3 L+ f胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

; C" E7 `/ e7 y! s. b- x19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

% V0 [) f1 i) u# XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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# w9 l7 i1 u' J0 @The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

6 S# }) e1 ]. ~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。

; Q3 a" I. d5 p/ U. w1 FHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
. t4 X6 K8 h% V; `  W/ |0 hbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗