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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She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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3 {" ^! y  ]1 `+ B, Y- nShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

# N7 s8 h$ F7 d动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

# B; O5 n6 _6 R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

8 `; f4 q6 P9 B2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

& n7 w" d  ^' {. _7 W7 K1 xHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

* U& ?7 d+ C, A2 [3 {. Irefuse 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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. v9 |% o4 N1 X$ cIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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; a6 A2 N  R4 M' V4. 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.
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+ F- E% @0 m  c2 R! r& \6 K' C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. 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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) o+ V' K/ H. j& z2 EThe 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.

' V$ K8 z7 k+ h) l  g; ~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。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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0 x3 C& M) n# x& c5 u0 d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

  L: }  S; X1 P$ o, ]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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3 U, e1 e2 w  ~5 A3 N8 b+ y" `It’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

( ?, _' n6 R, J. D* l9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

# z1 L$ `& g4 m6 x8 t& \* O8 L2 JMy 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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) w/ U4 {1 U# Z' G8 n8 y$ l天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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" s3 v- M  k0 ?10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

6 Q  _, E# j* h  e* Y. N; I' K+ kHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

6 L* \4 ?* I, u# V' o7 t% Q1 n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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+ k3 F) s9 X, I7 NTom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

" h" T7 v, X. h- ]% [All feasts must come to an end.
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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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5 f7 p7 ^: F: {/ q, @+ D# q8 }13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

- @5 k0 k7 H8 l8 I/ Q" ~. B扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.

9 Q2 e0 e- ~2 i% O- h; t' X15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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$ T& t; e5 [1 L) y. F, i$ y16. “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.

* G& _5 _. c+ w% L' 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.

! `( r. j3 |1 z: S* {% M& b3 i2 h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

8 V( ]# K0 V1 u4 B) b" }17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

The 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.

' b% z8 j3 W) x1 `扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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$ ^" [  K/ N9 B9 W2 s+ ]3 o20. 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。

, o( l, H4 y4 w2 k3 e  @He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 u  J- ]' S1 m, m& y3 ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

2 f1 W8 _: W( V上周日中午你去大统华了吗