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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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2 ~/ i6 z% o$ }6 NShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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6 A/ ?/ l' r+ I) T动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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0 r" O) }, \; C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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' v2 j9 K) K0 H9 _) p他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

4 D# L0 U3 x" I& i5 H# F$ N刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

0 d, v6 A9 V+ H3 O2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- D( J8 f% f5 V& P! `% aHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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0 s7 W  v# j* |# X8 O不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

3 E: l* W5 R' R2 T3 mrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 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.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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) _  Q! ~/ H  OHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

1 ~2 d2 L7 \0 t$ }4 M* r7 Z石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

) n0 ^# f1 W( q' ~  k8 Z0 |5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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0 z- j8 R: a6 D( G: n; QThe 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.

  p* z% o2 i3 |2 p7 F: ], z0 A1 XIf 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.
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* J7 o: k3 X7 {* R6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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* b7 f0 `- r5 [6 ?. ?/ |2 V7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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+ q( L7 ]! I6 |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.
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8 u) B+ u" S9 S8. 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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4 R; W! s% M2 ~/ B7 D名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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$ n: M# R% N8 W/ Z; }8 Udeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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, @  w6 ?/ c6 \( J8 ~* ^7 |live 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.”

& A; a+ S3 J- v6 ]8 ~天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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4 R, n; s* P8 x' _- s+ i4 C6 _2 K10. 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.
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11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

+ \) U; [3 F2 O2 zTom 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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+ F* k; R9 T# |  E# u4 f7 ?4 a; I5 v12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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+ f- E0 E' h  \7 K5 `, W1 H. hAll good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.
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7 \, H; ~9 n; T/ z6 a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.

: M5 p& u( `9 x% C9 C& J4 H13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

7 _$ j7 l- x/ XWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

: o+ d: b+ c/ V+ m: C  [, d扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.
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& r& g1 j* A3 _' t- Q: C江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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+ b# C- a- ?' O. @- J3 l( xA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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- a  V# t8 B( V' ^4 k; `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.

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

+ r) A8 g% ]' P17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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5 a7 k; ~$ {2 a* W& UI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

" P( _6 r' w0 }, V; z# e; j. Z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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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6 R3 X0 c" o8 b: L+ O胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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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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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.

$ p) X& M6 v1 r2 ]1 a/ h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。

( h% H1 [; Z9 a$ M5 d8 jHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
2 z1 v. ^2 P* W# Y( M0 sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗