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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3 a" B2 P) F; p& j1 w0 J! G1 uShe 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.

8 r; _% o  r0 m# g1 `动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

/ J$ @# B3 X" g0 Q9 M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

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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refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

9 ]) k" t) B: X2 ~2 j" GIt 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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6 [4 r& l1 X3 F& S9 a$ M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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$ B7 w% S( J0 F5 y8 x5. 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.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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; a/ ^5 t8 h* |# }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.
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' O- z5 |% u- C; ~' ?3 w9 \* h6. 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.

5 z0 p3 Y  j/ Y3 e% L7. 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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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+ ^% h: q+ y" E8 Q  c/ U5 H0 G* v) uIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”

; b. [2 D8 f0 z& V! oMy 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.
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10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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& Q' S! }4 t# _' p8 C) O8 o- g/ WHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

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。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.

8 w1 Y. r! k* G$ A. a5 B4 `% Z12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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# N% W1 n( l8 [/ |" t; N1 _8 BAll good things must come to end.
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& o- n" @6 w# C5 ZAll 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.
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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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* X2 z! K4 o3 V/ i( ]With 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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江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

5 _! ~+ H, `; _; l15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ o6 a) h1 ?/ L% V0 v5 Y; bA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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.

- G0 E4 N2 m4 A# ?8 @9 }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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  R4 C$ t* M. I1 l" s" _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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( _! y# |+ y- S$ U$ X& E1 V$ ^I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

! p' g. j- ]+ L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。

- h2 v2 \5 i" c1 _He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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) @$ A+ A6 }% X3 c: K: f19. 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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6 O  |- r" l( y6 oThe 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.

1 \' p! y: T4 @) _0 }& e# D5 x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。

7 g$ a+ L( l. ^1 U, H, g7 wHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗