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.

. [9 K$ L; Z& @; z* ]0 dShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
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  d) x+ b! p$ a: X& n# A( u: V; N; `动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
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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

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
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! \/ m; g: u% Q2 [+ S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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He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

& |$ v/ _. p. A# J9 h* y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

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

- d( u3 }9 G! U: E( d* nIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
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  F2 r! z% t# h* g4 r" c( D* I. }" A4. 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.

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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1 h& Y- o# P: h# i5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
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0 _9 Q3 j0 @& b6 T, _The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
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& w; K, M( A; N! q; |8 _The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

1 }+ f& U% ]2 v# a! r% ?If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.

  V' V! X: w2 J" W$ |: }! g5 F6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
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/ E! w( |) c: S) JHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

* E, Y& w' }# ?7 t% K" n- W: u7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
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; ~. N& K: R& U1 i- D# }/ k) I0 BThis 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.

5 w* i! r+ ]) p" N& Z1 U8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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# _* k$ k4 Y! P  h# L0 Q3 V$ fIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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: ]2 V5 H3 h1 X, h; h名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

5 V8 s4 t* ~% O' vlive up to one’s reputation

3 X) n/ d, @2 P! @' P9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
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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.”

, X: b( b  s* K. t$ `天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

" `& f0 A' c5 w) c+ g5 s$ F/ J7 p$ K10. 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’.”

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。

0 H# y* N4 @: x5 p/ f  zTom 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
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! ~3 S4 Y4 f( v; o- K$ n4 |; {All good things must come to end.

All 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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13. 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.

9 e8 _1 P+ g1 a* V0 H% h1 Q14. 江山易改，本性难移。
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. L. ~' k' f/ sA leopard can’t change its spots.

% U/ a2 A0 L+ A8 c. ?+ C9 D( ]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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; [2 I; C5 d- c; ?- ?15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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5 h5 m# d& r0 y7 K" {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。
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* }4 c0 z' f6 }; 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.
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/ l( [# F4 [: y* j- b  [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 w* w1 E' M* E/ U& i; ~4 ~0 \借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

' `: X9 V9 _* z3 G9 R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。

/ {% ?5 p+ n' _0 u+ l( A$ q/ oI 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

3 Y* |! S( Y( ~. a8 x8 D18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

1 q& W$ G+ T# G2 R, \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。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

) r# a' h: L0 N9 xThe 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。
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, _2 b! r: ~$ s! X! c- i+ `- {% K$ \He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
* ~1 X% [# C- i( Gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗