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

! J2 ^* M/ }" m& M1 C: G8 h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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$ ^6 B9 z8 Q! Q# ]3 p+ E0 D. r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

6 `0 Q+ E4 T3 M* s他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

( X: d" Z; b% f# v1 L2. 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.

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

; n* `& V8 k+ Y/ p, l3. 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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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.
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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.

) n! m- V( Z7 q! Y5. 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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The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

* d8 t2 n  ]% C! ?6 |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。

" }6 [$ r& Y1 D5 P4 X9 A) aHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

$ i) K) G) l5 F8 h# E& Q7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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1 J' v% s- B( w: Q  QThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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5 J7 Z1 Z, l$ J% T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。
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  x$ e8 Z: {* \) |  bIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

+ ^- W2 R: D) n& m( v) q9 y; [; z5 W名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ Q% s4 K/ h1 }8 i' K/ a" w0 y1 @deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

3 R9 p# F# d  n) ^( b8 A5 p: u9. 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.”
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天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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: f- H( e8 ^% E8 }. w, S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

2 |2 b+ m' S8 ?! `7 q( `+ IHe 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。

5 r7 x+ s0 m0 Z. _Tom 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.

* a4 Z8 B$ @3 t  f6 f- R12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
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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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13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

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.
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6 A; T# d# W( e. j3 v14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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! x* Y$ C$ D6 x7 V! W+ V) O' ^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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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, y, f' U# s# m6 t, YA 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。
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5 X0 c, Y: P- u  w, FTalk 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.

( Z+ m0 l9 a; q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.

8 c' h- r+ l" k  o  M! W4 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
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, C/ ^3 m) m, c7 C7 z17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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0 h' C6 A) B6 L& LI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

, G4 M3 I# h. M. ^1 ?8 J( U哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

# D4 ?6 A/ r7 I' c* p18. 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。

( d2 S0 f2 A, a6 y$ {& }The 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.

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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/ H! c+ t( `: r) H& aHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% ~! j  ]0 z9 ^& l/ h0 Y: ^- m# ]. Qbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

& h/ P) s5 \8 O2 k上周日中午你去大统华了吗