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.

, {# l- N# S& N, g3 J/ G1 v& A, XShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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, o2 ?! b7 j9 n/ u- {# Z8 m动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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' h1 B8 X% C$ x/ q" D8 k+ z动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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3 E- j/ P5 q& Z他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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! h# S! w! R( S1 Z: t! `# U刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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1 c& s  i9 X/ Z( F: ^& `$ a# g2. 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.
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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;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。
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% Y9 T+ W8 I: @6 R( {* x. T! W# R( PHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

: a; A# J2 P' Z2 j5 v6 z! w5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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& J7 h4 R1 Q( hThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

- e6 h$ ?: p$ AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
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$ l7 q( E+ x; _: @/ K; H9 @# u2 R) ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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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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% U8 i) P3 Q* [* Z" _8 G. c. H; aHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 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.
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; N6 ]/ B3 B( K' w. p0 ^1 ?( ?8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

# M: s9 a7 Y& ]# e  i  z8 sIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

. G4 P& k+ @# W6 z+ y- z# R名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

. @. f. G) W; p  ?. wdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
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9 E0 b" a4 r& m! i# B. Hlive up to one’s reputation

% y/ l* G+ d3 q' N# c7 C( W) I9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

5 }2 Z! |) M/ W' ^) I0 c( S9 M1 t. UMy 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”。

6 Q; C% m; g9 z  r& S# |He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

# U/ X# i8 M! [8 t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。
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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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) U. G/ N" V" k8 z  s$ `- s6 R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.

' r: i" E1 n1 |3 q7 F% C' i12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

3 `  N, c" x6 ^5 x* a# q' YAll good things must come to end.
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1 K& p. c, g% K( h! ^2 W& 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.

5 ~( o! `3 h5 i$ M  |4 {8 P13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

! q' L: g: `% j+ {3 ?+ x1 e) D+ gWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

+ ?9 C6 h+ R% }. k" `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
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14. 江山易改，本性难移。

9 ]+ O% i, U. g/ f9 pA leopard can’t change its spots.
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* U. i& `& p) j8 d, r$ c" k! ~: F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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3 W$ [2 I) O0 v+ M7 Z) UA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
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1 X* J$ Z$ i6 @- y% x% P$ Q6 v16. “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 _- k8 |0 ?; t# ~% ZTalk 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.

4 t8 q: \" _" h3 P0 o5 R  R/ i借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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6 A0 G4 q/ I% y2 V+ T煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
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5 Y* Z4 d: L+ b17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

- u4 L, m3 {- |+ P9 i) iI 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

$ I; \* D# @5 d3 t9 ~7 z! d18. 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

+ A5 |! B, Q& _. L, Y19. 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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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

. H$ H- B2 W( z' KThe 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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/ d1 S- D' O+ G2 O20. 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。

1 d1 K9 _# l( W4 _2 E5 Y" ]( m' [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