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。

) K1 t$ P, l, p5 ^She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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( R9 _2 M$ x1 K2 X# SShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

+ b6 b& \) T* ?8 C; O. l6 ]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.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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% A( I# y+ C% i" f- C+ K6 [. A: H0 f$ y2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- v5 D$ [0 n: |; H7 \9 hHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* a6 [( Q( }0 ~不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

% C/ z$ Y9 S% l5 }4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

7 h6 m8 V2 w& {" B0 i2 _) Z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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; U7 I$ q1 F& m/ I! ?  ]) X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

* N: N( Z. S* @" P9 ~, ?The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

% W4 k- N' m3 z( ~7 {; f  XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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( F5 g2 o6 k' Y" Q% _5 U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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

* B# A( a$ ^3 w+ }" P6 h% w0 L% fHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

% W8 H* S& z  i& z, p. S7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

+ _+ p1 x# {: U6 ]' ?; V4 gThis 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.

8. 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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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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+ y1 v3 H5 }$ s; [deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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! P( _4 U/ [$ B  _* Flive up to one’s reputation

( G  U9 A- u5 f; o* q  C7 n9. 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.”

1 T' n/ \0 @+ s, j天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

2 g1 P8 r- p& zHe 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.

6 E6 p+ E, @4 [11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

" a1 |. ?& k: V- t  |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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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。
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All good things must come to end.
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All feasts must come to an end.

5 u. B+ P; }- p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.

) n* @% _- A7 Z, K1 {8 ~$ {* q13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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2 N8 Y8 V3 r0 r- ]+ m4 s7 e& ]With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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' U. S& \  i8 o9 b扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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, Q# w2 d" \- D; N' b. K7 Q14. 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

4 @/ X1 r1 |( _5 bA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

8 e3 p7 r! s  L. {" v; }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.

: X4 S% s( N6 f. O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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# I5 B7 `" s! s& z6 Z, `+ |/ ^- b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。

+ ?! G5 c$ ]6 UI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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& G: Z: V* p* s7 l) o哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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" d+ N, r1 l% z5 c, b; Z- _18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

$ ?( M; j. y3 E0 l' C( PHe 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
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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。

0 ]$ k$ |$ u, f" ]9 ~0 CThe 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.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

4 w0 f5 a" h8 `3 [9 f+ B20. 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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& {& w/ z  w1 Z0 j3 K" u0 OHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
, O: |6 ?) m7 zbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

7 T4 K/ b# l" b  J' U! z上周日中午你去大统华了吗