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。

  u+ q; [/ F3 d. Z& E. l8 AShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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- _. D: ]% Z( V" r( X, X5 G2 ]She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

" F) P3 o& S: k1 `动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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; a5 ~8 K4 Y7 R) U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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

" T% c9 M' j  D. e  L刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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! G8 G. ~7 o5 ~: f$ V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 ?5 w, s" v1 L  E9 l) eHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

/ c1 _, r9 ]/ K, i) 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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: m0 F  x0 w- g$ brefuse to give up until all hope is gone

' C0 J5 K4 X* Q' _3 ]4 ~" R3. 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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0 @# W, B: w8 z3 J9 E$ m2 S4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

+ T1 h( Z2 C! _9 }( \He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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% H5 L5 J+ |' w0 k( l  P' a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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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* C: z3 Y8 @& P: ~) e9 O8 \5 m# DThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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7 u. m) L0 O' x$ F: i, o4 C! sIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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, R* z+ F. ^: Q2 v& ?) Q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.

8 U$ V6 k/ R- `6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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. W6 x: s( V' e3 e- `) {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。
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& r; X( s7 j. y1 @) r5 S& ZThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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. |2 A* X7 n& C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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9 D0 j6 I! E6 ~8 O) JIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

; m& U0 j" K% [3 }名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

- i8 S9 G/ ]" H9 @1 u) p. v1 }deserve the reputation one enjoys;

" k1 _$ W" h  C  h* j3 {6 Xlive up to one’s reputation
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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.”

/ _7 z' u7 m9 @2 J! T9 n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”。

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.

% ?$ J8 q2 ^& K% }% I11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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% R- {1 I# |. o8 }% ]. ?  g* \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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: I4 R3 R+ }5 J0 R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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12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

7 L4 x/ k- N" r7 |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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A 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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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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, y/ v" N+ K' o16. “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。

3 \9 U8 I1 R) t$ w' D! |4 Z' ZTalk 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.

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

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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- C0 X/ [! x. J9 mI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

$ H& ~  e5 ]; z( X7 {4 w哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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' M8 S" a  s% T6 uHe 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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

' R  A3 u9 j( G6 ~The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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6 V. S% T" ]/ E1 D# |! k% VThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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) S0 {, Q: L; `$ B9 p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!
( ~. G+ B9 G- y6 H" v) l* l/ H5 ~billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

! N, N% Z5 C, j  y- U上周日中午你去大统华了吗