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.
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3 h5 @3 I& w1 L1 L( ^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

, I9 j. j( I& D1 X& k4 L  {: Z% O, O动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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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( u1 [6 i: r2 \8 ?6 I2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

5 j8 t( W2 v$ S2 O. M& M: XHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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/ o+ i3 e2 E7 Q: W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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8 G+ V# O  v" e) P4 j2 Crefuse to give up until all hope is gone

+ v' r1 C2 P2 d' s/ o# D2 y3. 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.

# h: z7 {6 N7 @/ a6 ~! R" b4 U, p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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; ~! }  c6 C" V, N& F5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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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.

9 I3 Q9 o! T) iIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

& _- f. k" J0 c( f+ e. I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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: \) m8 U2 X+ `" h6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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( H8 a- a% }9 e! Z' \He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

3 ^1 p3 @0 T6 F. X7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

4 l- E3 ]4 Q) ]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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It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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" H& ?1 x  H9 Y名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

! ?8 P- t6 u! X  Y$ Glive up to one’s reputation
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8 q4 }1 V" n  C: p9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

2 N, ]. s; n+ ZMy 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

2 T/ R# M* i( [' _He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

( t# d( N5 \! C3 w, t) w: ~$ K画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
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4 I; r5 P5 @) f, @$ m3 jTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

9 u& z0 y9 B, Y. I, R/ |3 O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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5 J. w; |( c2 X; G" QAll good things must come to end.
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3 j5 ^: `+ u, T: BAll 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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; Z- |+ G$ |8 _" y13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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( N, j8 V6 K# X5 x5 W: F! [% XWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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) g3 h0 |& H0 S' h* v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.
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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。

' `% n; D, M1 ]: r  w8 tA 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。

1 f7 P3 f, s+ c# M/ XTalk 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.

6 P5 r- m% L+ a) t2 u* E. Y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.

7 j; @* X9 S( {( r7 R% e' K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

4 q7 q! m2 L3 B2 C* @2 @+ b1 f17. 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.

! W. o/ N3 O/ y: c# r# y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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, N, U$ M& C0 Z& G& oHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

2 N8 J) N  ]% T. f. AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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7 R6 y) Y7 O! B. M0 J/ r, N0 D/ yThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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6 f1 K! X; I4 ^$ s3 `1 }4 v20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗