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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

- {1 P: e  Q" e& m/ W0 f- M: w' ^! y2 K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

% {3 @4 ^5 C3 F动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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/ m* k7 D% n4 }2 p动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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2 w# s5 H1 Y5 G& B& ?0 h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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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1 H2 R  \$ m6 e- AHe 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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, F) K7 L2 T9 |+ mrefuse 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.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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8 a- T4 P8 E! w  N' ZHe 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. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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' m6 [8 ^- E$ g9 CThe 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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If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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# r1 ~! u' l, {! I; S7 a( 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.
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" \: {/ t! N( e  R6. 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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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

/ U9 O1 U; q2 A+ kThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

  n" X& \7 f2 h1 _* Y) C% D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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4 x$ I7 a5 g  @$ ~8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

. n, {' G, m/ `* GIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

7 Y) S8 i$ z) V, ]- g3 h8 v9 ]+ y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 r& d# E8 J0 X3 q. h2 ulive 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。”

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.”

3 z4 `8 t& z7 Q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’.”
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) ]$ @( S% a/ N+ w. p% {画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

4 \- [: C+ h" H) z11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

4 S9 ]; }) R: {% I* N0 MTom 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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" ~7 r6 L# _2 z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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- W- L8 B% ~! A/ VAll good things must come to end.
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/ @7 t- n, e' gAll feasts must come to an end.

. k4 F) S: _: s' C- }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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% |: b# L7 Q* s5 I* W" J. D13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

& }* u; h9 i, }& v. a. LWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

5 ]' P' k( v% W: P3 E3 q* [: o0 E" @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.

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。

* C( k4 W/ u' r, LA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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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。

  Y8 |" d" d6 F* p6 y# w, 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.

" q7 W2 R; C, a, L1 F( N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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" C* y; Q1 {; N# ?+ z% M借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

4 ^4 J+ O% Z4 w  f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。

" L# X/ _! ?6 GI 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。
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6 A4 @) Z. e, L0 y4 o1 w$ sHe 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。

; j+ k/ F1 n7 o# y, rThe 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.
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6 ^- u; y+ H0 s. D4 p扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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2 F7 T% ~# E. X$ p% G: 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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He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
8 R. ^7 g% e  D/ F3 a* Dbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

. e$ z2 ^* M; W  ~7 G上周日中午你去大统华了吗