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.
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She 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

1 v: h$ j8 `5 Z, W% S' B% d8 o; {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.

) |$ K0 k% j$ [; m+ y  g6 E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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! }4 X. `% V# P* eHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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) ]& x1 Z, `. Q4 \& a: E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 h4 L- o4 C: n# a( d. p' prefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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4 p% V" u: U. u: h3. 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.
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/ p2 X! g+ b/ z) j& a0 L1 j4. 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' H: U2 f0 [2 y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

- V. T4 s9 l7 Q" g& ?- tThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

. W  B  a( P9 V1 cThe 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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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.

; F" d+ J8 G1 u8 v6. 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.
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8 P- ^6 H$ K8 J6 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.

+ Q0 W* E# [  ~3 }" h' i! F" R张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

0 i9 v+ D2 ?0 D% ?# y0 B6 wIt’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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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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) q0 G8 M6 u; x- ]6 A# olive up to one’s reputation

3 t) t7 i/ ]2 Z/ e9. 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.”

- \; u+ o- x* T$ _, x2 b天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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! N1 Q# X. M9 b1 \& t6 O10. 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.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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' T  R( Z: ]& Y, K- f% YTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

* t+ j: L, C, S- [$ Y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。

: I  C0 v% N: H' L) LAll good things must come to end.
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0 S7 \$ P9 C+ vAll 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.

4 W) @* G3 \5 _" u. \13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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" B  Y9 n' ~5 X! D' h( n4 ^0 PWith 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.
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5 @: B9 v4 j3 s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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3 L3 E8 w  F* W/ N. o( J15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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5 A8 ^% O! n6 D7 I3 L8 U16. “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.
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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.

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

: A9 C9 o$ y$ [9 J3 O0 _17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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& R$ p; D# s9 \) }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

6 z/ m5 K* D) v& t. p, ?  C18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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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

& C" a* D3 \; S' H/ ]19. 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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% [; O8 @( }2 g. ]The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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# r7 g- b/ V9 h6 Y* B2 T20. 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 [* \" g/ d8 ]2 V( }- xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

& h0 J6 r( m7 ?8 }5 g上周日中午你去大统华了吗