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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
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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
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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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$ O) _; l* n$ S) Z* Q9 aHe 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;

4 G, r) G! S# o+ v, Hrefuse 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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  l$ a3 M" q6 S/ r/ TIt 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。

8 ~0 T0 s9 G" aHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
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6 T1 e/ Q3 z8 Z7 L# R: x7 {' s石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

3 e3 H/ k& @" ]0 ?5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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* S2 t3 \$ N  vThe 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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# a% E% S# A  ]5 |- RIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

+ J! V  Z1 u+ |" i, {! o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。
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He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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* V+ p1 L  C- i3 X0 `1 I7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

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。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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4 y6 P/ V0 V- p3 v& M, Fdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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live 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。”
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5 Z5 q8 N3 N6 ?* ^& E+ m! F! QMy 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.

, d  @3 I6 Y1 F2 U* W- T10. 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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画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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5 T! p$ s4 t3 |8 |% S11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

& i+ z0 |" \; Y: _9 Q" \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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- a% J, ]: N5 a! c6 AAll good things must come to end.

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.

; [1 f* ~% S! ]( I  g0 h5 s6 `13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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5 r! d& n/ S4 g0 m4 c! G, V% Q; PWith 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.

( N* X, H2 U8 N3 c4 w14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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) W/ G* l  B2 r- B5 I( \A leopard can’t change its spots.
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, ?: o, y  r6 A* e7 y$ b7 t2 u  x) D' ]江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

2 F# \- Y3 b6 }  L& i4 Z$ [, c15. 吃一堑，长一智。

: n9 V8 e6 F$ W7 u1 ~  _" O. I0 D7 G4 mA 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.

2 G( J2 M5 d5 ?- e  r5 I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.

# a2 F1 f7 h& ?$ }8 |借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

- R7 J0 v  p  s+ `) b/ P17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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8 `% \6 E  i, U- Q5 Z( J( N哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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  ~( p1 A$ x" n. _! s; F18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
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He 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。
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$ }9 H/ A) I. }* Y: }: HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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+ S$ [( Z9 f9 H) H; N2 KThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

8 {# J/ W# W+ e7 p+ }( K4 t扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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) p& @/ I! I$ t) U% w! g20. 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

0 x$ m1 m6 `* ?上周日中午你去大统华了吗