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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) s- L* l0 V" q# I8 cShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
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* f9 h$ M- e; Z0 Z7 j( y2 ~. uShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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" m4 p; ^8 O( l( p: |8 p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
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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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

1 U) [7 n7 q4 M. _2 }. K9 x  y6 ZHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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" Q2 Q1 N9 S: T7 _! r0 N+ p不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

: z0 S; `8 j3 Orefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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* L/ s9 C; Y, B) }3. 十年树木，百年树人。

+ W% W4 N: \# ^+ E8 Q3 E/ }6 N9 `It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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5 J( G5 ~" w$ z% }4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
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! F7 L" {# a/ d7 G+ WHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

! ]! S4 K9 Q6 K; K& I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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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.

- n4 @$ X  N( Y* O% n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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6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

6 h# r! z7 Y% j, B1 K# _3 l6 {7 A7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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% v. s0 q. F$ |' I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。

  ]$ f4 V5 ], }6 l2 R7 _. `; ]It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

  y7 k& ]4 s9 H' k名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

  {& O' F5 t; \deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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' j0 m) F6 _$ [. e$ _% G: ]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.

( l8 p1 r0 ^2 L/ [  I0 J4 k10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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4 u3 Z. N5 T% A  t( k* KHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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1 ^# t' s, A# h! b! ]6 j画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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) M, L% h! Y+ G) B3 w5 A8 _11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

8 Y4 v6 ^. F5 c( W( w# f" {8 hTom 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.
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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.

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。

1 z  N: ^1 g" z7 P* B% @With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

% a% i& C$ M  _. {% Y) C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.
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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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4 k0 c  \9 |) [( r5 R3 Q15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。

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.

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.

9 t; t% X9 h+ R, [+ ^+ @借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

" S9 \" ^0 k, U0 `  c# x  C( m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。

% c3 q; Q; }6 J# E6 }: F& J. |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

* q2 m" H; R! E- T18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

2 q2 g) B8 q3 y4 ~2 GHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

5 Z; D& q8 g' K* H: B$ Y3 R胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

. b' W9 D/ B) f! `: Q; G19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

, `) ~3 E$ J$ [6 V. K) E4 K- AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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, K, }. e- _" w+ _" l- h/ b; VThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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8 q. O6 h( c$ Z! j/ L: t( E) j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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2 X4 |2 L* s/ {8 E$ FHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
, ?; y- Q. H; xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗