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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/ Y- _+ O$ s* w  L! x- TShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

9 ~$ ]6 R/ B: X/ J( _' f7 f) i动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

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.

. A' @: H! x9 |* p  L+ N刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
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  ]9 Z2 }, w' \: E* C; \/ N' V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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/ [4 U4 f1 }9 ]& ~; O5 X: tHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

0 B( Y; x: l# d( M+ X8 f4 |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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* h' `5 W8 s) _, t; O3. 十年树木，百年树人。

; l' b1 d: k  |4 YIt 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。

" S" H: h% S' @, z& ZHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

; f* x6 D/ y: c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。
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The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

: G, u  R3 ]  q+ vThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

0 R4 b, G2 L3 `" o7 v$ ]If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
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9 q/ |$ K  e" E8 g9 O( u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。
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He 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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2 _0 _) d0 L+ p% ~( Q! p! HThis 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.

& O5 w8 R1 p7 V- P7 ^( h/ d8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
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5 s! w  u8 x( A, q8 hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

9. 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.”

" K. g6 [% e7 R$ p! p+ c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’.”

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。

) Z/ A4 T1 {. ], HTom 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。

7 v1 n1 |& b, t1 r/ g& T( KAll good things must come to end.

, O' |! [$ D2 P! \# rAll feasts must come to an end.

3 w0 h9 ~1 K3 h& {6 `' S6 m) N* H( [, c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.
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6 ?7 P' [9 O; Y; ~14. 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.
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15. 吃一堑，长一智。
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9 Y9 s$ y0 y' wA 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。

6 n" l6 q+ ^2 E5 B4 ]  oTalk 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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1 U) t! `. k' _8 _0 t0 g2 u! Q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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借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

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。

; P1 K  F  u; B, i" D9 U1 L. Y& DI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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/ \; y- [3 P. J) ]/ G2 Q哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

8 F" F' A! e2 y6 |) x) s+ n18. 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
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9 Q8 Y! r( l( }% O: l19. 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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1 ]- h; d9 n2 m- u0 J% Q# eThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
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5 P3 H& g1 Y& N( @" Y扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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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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

2 }. Z6 E: M9 i$ `' c3 s上周日中午你去大统华了吗