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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4 K2 q8 E; j- ^7 cShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

$ O% X$ _8 e) V# p. RShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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7 C- o, [; H; S' W# Z9 P动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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; f( I0 R6 a7 [$ U1 V动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

! W5 }% R1 g3 m! c8 a, P/ q动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
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% T1 J; {4 C9 x$ N& D6 n9 @: T他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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9 F0 P' L0 T* L* V' C刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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* {! d( x+ o8 P/ _3 W0 RHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

2 G6 g; I: ~0 b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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1 X% x- V$ n  M( trefuse to give up until all hope is gone
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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

6 [- I2 H3 S. R0 y2 K" E4. 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.
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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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5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

$ F; h" q, m! ]4 \0 JThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

( @2 g1 D3 ?! Q/ d7 @. A, m" ~If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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' l* Y! |+ W, E8 `9 r' k6 j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。

% }3 e1 O3 u- H7 g6 QHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
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' h6 o, a* Q  E% F* P7. 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。

. {5 x2 d. C. f8 Z8 J3 f" ]: y' j# oIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

7 b+ s9 B& ~3 l+ A: N' `名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

6 L" s7 L3 T% H% y. cdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

3 y# o( h, Q* W7 T& X% zlive 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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% ^$ ?& v2 ^; p5 D, I8 [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.”

6 O" N* J# Y# J5 o) F天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
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10. 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’.”

) Y- H) \* z9 T6 d1 d& j; i# m画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
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: v' E* q  k3 x! ~; @, ?# ]# d7 a11. 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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5 \" Q% y" F( J- O1 V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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( `3 Y: O4 \4 g% ?) i12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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- K4 B( o: x" j& ?8 |+ dAll good things must come to end.
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) o+ R: a4 F5 P" w! g9 YAll 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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) a% M1 }7 Q/ e. L& m+ I9 L# q13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
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With 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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A leopard can’t change its spots.

4 s  `# P+ f3 ]8 |* z8 K江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

: [1 s' c5 f- Q  f' g( z15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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A 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。

5 ?4 G, g4 ]6 X6 G6 |9 _5 t, bTalk 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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9 z* Y% G8 i! s7 w) T6 f, k+ k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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0 |( b3 x, V. V% u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。
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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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& X: Z; W7 C; G+ R; D18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

% a, Y+ {: P# X+ X5 e6 K! Y% ]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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7 r, Q( [7 Z5 `/ y8 eThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

$ a, T9 E" X" n1 k/ [8 n  e/ `扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
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- z2 u$ S0 t  U+ y20. 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!
! u4 Y9 _7 @: Y2 Abillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗