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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+ A+ K( m' G4 y$ T9 V. L5 h7 mShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

3 G5 M( c' f1 g; H1 z& u4 ]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
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* v: K$ {1 [# ?' s& o/ _动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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( |& G4 g* W% n8 ^2 @动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

9 N: L5 l7 b) K5 Z/ j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
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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.

( _3 k% j2 T3 m' f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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

# R# j$ G# @. V* N9 WIt 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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He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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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 E  t* h2 b( [( y5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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2 K" v  u! L+ _$ M# N+ U5 yThe 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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5 t$ \( a, Z9 ~6 A! X4 X% \If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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1 w& b. `' {5 b% _9 {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。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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) A9 M8 c4 w) H9 M& 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.
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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ L" N, e) U# b" _deserve the reputation one enjoys;

7 r" Y9 p. `! w5 e& x; r8 Olive up to one’s reputation
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2 `" N- m6 I/ A4 f. Z3 H3 F9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

' c2 J* u4 C, A! Q/ q" yMy 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.”

& T/ P2 s$ z2 `) u, v天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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" q! F3 V( g' p8 R' J* _10. 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’.”

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。
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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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4 c  R  e0 b3 n4 O9 N3 X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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2 I# E! w3 O! `3 S12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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7 |+ {/ d2 j( P( hAll good things must come to end.

All 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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. V0 K1 S  r: t$ \) D13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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+ K4 K8 }! b! C; t' t% D  fWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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* J/ u1 T) L2 ^/ p9 f2 \扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

8 M% A7 A  |5 ]! b14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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& |- W2 b) }# c8 }4 _: CA 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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' m8 _; P/ T* ?* u6 t15. 吃一堑，长一智。

5 h7 z- U) U. v9 u8 Y. ]5 }) JA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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" _: W8 a6 ?$ F0 H) @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。

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.

) P, e0 K" F9 C  K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。

/ p, f7 `( d3 Z1 n/ bI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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) a2 K* c6 G1 h4 |7 S. _1 }哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

0 H. M- C; G6 z* ~18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

" @6 Z* C4 D' Y; A& _1 x  P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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/ b4 J5 |6 ?: |' j0 oThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

' R% ?: E/ w. W# I0 s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。
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He 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

* y  A$ x% m8 J, |6 l0 p& d上周日中午你去大统华了吗