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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She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
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% |" m9 e6 ?! @7 ^" k& `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

5 |3 o5 [9 i1 w9 V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

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
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& I# H$ w0 x% nHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
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4 g, D& v+ C" h- n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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3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

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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8 B( H) B6 Q: T# S5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

) \/ Z8 t4 h* x* {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.

. S8 K- _1 x6 t( ~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.

4 a  P  L, W6 o" o. _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.
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7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

8 m; T7 s; ]0 w$ }7 W4 oThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
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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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8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
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名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
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deserve the reputation one enjoys;
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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。”
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6 L+ i+ C  [, \$ T' R- ]% HMy 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”。
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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。
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5 ~) F5 C  C3 u. |* ~% D+ qTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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。

4 o, o$ l! F; ?, W# k, O4 IAll good things must come to end.
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All 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.

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.
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/ S) w, T3 s: e7 |4 _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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4 J2 D, q) w/ c$ b) N% M& mA 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.

; j* e& M  S9 X( [3 n6 }  C15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 E' i7 ~! ~2 m% Q- MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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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Talk 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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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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
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" F6 @* t8 t3 a/ E' c, ?4 u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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
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哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

) B$ d, F+ x& o, l8 i; b1 T  V9 z1 ?18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
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胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
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, P! j3 A1 H/ ~& m19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

; c/ K& I! |' v  H) r: L) YThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
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' U" G0 P7 H2 O( w, O! IThe 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

( }( @" m* R: X: _8 B. Y2 Q% f* s/ H( \# k20. 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。

. F9 ^" a0 G! M; _He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
$ L8 j' ]2 y% H, U9 V! @* [# Mbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗