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

. Q7 s& \" a+ \. ^动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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

0 f+ t' _/ I6 q% U/ O他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

1 d* w; j- G# ^" t* r- A- k/ E3 H刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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4 K1 y$ d5 a1 s9 _2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

, W( c& u. J. D" ^; m! f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
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

2 S: z3 \! X/ a5 h# O8 @! i( h. |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。

+ G; C6 v) H: B/ THe 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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( Y, Q" p7 v' Z5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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( Y0 p% _! E) t  {; nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

" y2 R: \$ V$ o! CThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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9 `# L: J2 d% o) t; y/ v. E" Z6 r+ uIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

' f0 I( a- X; g# ~. {% A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。
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- l6 H% r: Q. p  O4 e. BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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& x* U& T- P6 D, A8 \8 [This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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7 s' S  t9 k. ]" N, `$ L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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9 a) I0 p& x* `' T- W4 e0 C3 K. X8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

  a: z% A5 K+ Q! G" OIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

& H' A6 j$ A. w( B名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

, I' ^: i2 @* I9 q( J9 y' h8 vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

' r8 `2 M; O+ {% ~  @5 L* llive up to one’s reputation
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; a9 ~9 t; `' ^# T0 D9. 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.”
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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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/ h4 S$ {6 k. s2 \9 l10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
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He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
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2 q& g) F: u: V7 `2 ]. i7 k& f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。

Tom 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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; s' p  J4 m) x  }$ [+ m% 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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All good things must come to end.

4 \- a9 X: O+ ?All feasts must come to an end.
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) r( @+ w; N- |1 x7 r( o% ~2 \9 ]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。
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% b8 s! {& F; M! W2 i& |With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
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& J6 }" P9 q2 G; r2 W扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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$ ?5 m% T8 t  n2 m; G, K$ H14. 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

1 N# `# ~6 q4 y8 L  e$ ]A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

7 J8 G8 p/ {6 a2 Q: ]3 j  |/ N16. “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.
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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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5 j, |6 V5 \* }: b# C5 V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

17. 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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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( S9 w* I: `+ u+ j18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

. J5 f: K0 ]$ KHe 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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

4 g+ w. S' u2 }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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+ o) k3 H2 I. [. c3 LThe 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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: E( \' S- b+ A. a. i1 I8 Q20. 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。

' x, E9 Z; B( x" aHe 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