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。

- n6 y5 {# Q. h9 ]/ Z. yShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

! A8 m, L3 X, d6 M; W, uShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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* d$ i1 U( Z! k/ V, @. U: O动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

- K' _( e8 k& I) \- @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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2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

; j% q+ C5 V, ]' M9 w) p1 v! NHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

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

0 R$ k  B% g$ B5 a6 j$ M3 p3. 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。

5 X) c% J5 ^: w. L0 q0 m) Z- UHe 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.

5. 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.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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& q) l7 G0 F4 }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。

: v% t. v& d: g# h. aHe 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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7 U( a; {2 r/ ^* ^% B$ R4 t. N' ?8 qThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

, G9 }. m( X& y/ U: W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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: K+ M0 t& `9 Q  `& Y2 _8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

( T  y, z& _/ ~* g; e* u: ^It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

2 y7 }0 h  E9 K! S( H* w* J名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

) I+ W6 |% o$ J) y7 n5 |deserve the reputation one enjoys;

9 C$ f8 ?" K6 M5 V: K% \2 A$ olive up to one’s reputation

. w/ |- R; X* \6 m+ [- G9. 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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4 d3 y. X" V+ P5 e$ A0 t2 E5 I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”。

* p: U. k0 {; [8 V6 eHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

, S: G! o0 V6 p: w3 u: o画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

# |/ \, k2 B2 U! t4 J2 Y8 H0 p: t# K! l11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

& G! l* r0 i( ^5 e# h2 M' ?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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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.

2 a2 E; N; T. e. u12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

; @0 m* ?6 A9 P3 q4 J, n% d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.

: W9 b" `" l$ m: M1 E( C+ E0 s13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

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。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

- p( e* f% }& V6 |  g3 H" t+ Q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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9 l" D( s$ J( 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。

0 h, k) S  J  ^% c) eTalk 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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. r* u: h* L  y6 v- g8 o7 F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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7 `6 I  u9 Z: Q. d# 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
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17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
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& i' w2 d7 [  {6 g% @I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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. [1 _+ s( b3 d  X/ d# L. a  s哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
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2 ^  z5 h: R2 {% q0 `; d18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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! O1 j* L3 v& r0 c) ~* i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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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* ?4 N( e# L; F1 S) 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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20. 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。

( L$ v0 K+ }4 M9 _, }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