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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0 I) c. U  Y- vShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

; w0 B- ?7 _5 {: O/ xShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

" P& c' c" o5 D. V7 y' a动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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5 g+ Y4 d" D' \0 T; P$ P( I/ A" x. t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

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;
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1 F! p5 _9 @3 z0 Q) y9 f6 V4 L; m/ U) i- Rrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

$ X% k$ g( y: ?# D3. 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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4. 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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! E! Q1 ]) H+ q6 x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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

3 j% N9 x2 ~  oThe 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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3 S3 e# p. A$ k" @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 ]: J0 f( N1 c% U" |8 z- b6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

7 A, T5 V4 q2 x" I$ u' u1 iHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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# x/ C5 T7 q  ]6 v* i+ X7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

3 a7 G. V; |3 G! H0 I9 u8 Z8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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" O2 Y9 h" h6 t' U, |It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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8 t8 i) R5 P) x5 Udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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1 a6 }; N/ j: m2 O: 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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7 w& n' z" Y7 T2 f3 ZMy 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.

8 A, C3 B( W7 [  l3 S10. 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’.”

( A/ W$ r( o/ l" r8 O% f( z画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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, |5 _3 o) b9 L7 @11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

0 A& n( j/ ?+ ~: M' k3 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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0 Z8 R1 ?% \' Q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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! \6 g) N% K* I& a3 H1 q6 i12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

; \+ [. P2 @1 e0 |All good things must come to end.
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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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+ X1 n" w# E5 g. {13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

8 p* h, o& p- C8 j' pWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

& y6 _. J0 t( M& `0 ?& x# r( s! E+ j扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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; j. N  h  ]. @7 A  E& g14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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1 I1 s0 z: J/ o, FA leopard can’t change its spots.
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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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1 [1 d( `. {7 r/ z6 H15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ v" ~8 J! j2 x: i% yA 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.
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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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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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! `& ^0 {9 k$ }& ~  d' n18. 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
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" U. `/ C2 g) [8 H: T! e' d19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

5 a+ H) Z8 p1 B$ @' U3 ^The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 z6 e2 H/ E1 }, _+ o0 V( u/ [: R扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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" w1 @: n& h8 j, m3 `: ]He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
' t, n8 I+ a/ [8 U8 ]billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗