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。

- a8 h) X) w! T- OShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

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

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
. A' F" v: ?  l: q- T
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
* R' y& Q) A* i4 z3 T& K
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
. m5 z8 T" r6 ]2 V0 s' c# Q
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

5 k9 h; N1 ]6 ?0 P/ l刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
: h  ]# T( C7 ]  u' c
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
! ?' C$ ]4 R# V
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

# D1 y9 L& J' {& Brefuse to give up until all hope is gone

  `* K' V9 [. I. h0 x7 O9 p3. 十年树木，百年树人。
* c8 c% ?6 w- T' n' ]3 F
( q. _  w2 ~  d' P! MIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
( C, ?  k" F( ]/ {! N0 U. q
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
2 x; @9 y# K6 D; j& l) n
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
! m* v9 v: h' {9 U+ x# M7 @
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
" v5 {! B2 H- p: T9 q# E4 t! b
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
" T$ z4 M  \  M) {+ {$ x
The 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.
& s" l- O, \9 _9 @/ @# g
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.
/ D! k  i; C; J6 e3 h$ i
, d* y7 @0 t$ `: _6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
- f" R' W" o8 ^/ s6 @2 p' E+ y4 b# ?
. q: O* Q% l! P# G9 k* S& Y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
0 ~0 n9 E* T) o, g" \& n9 y6 ]
/ j; Y4 g% i$ [( A4 L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。
' p  T9 R) P% ~7 f, L# j' w/ U
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
2 w" B. {9 t# n
2 \" ^- V7 W9 K: l- ulive up to one’s reputation
& q! ~8 j" j+ N- C
' w% ]# d5 `8 ^2 q8 f5 }/ [! J9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

+ G5 q; V, c& @$ @5 w+ ?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.”
9 R: E4 X7 Y% m& p5 f  l
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

6 q! |, _4 a$ o% K; F10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
/ w& s+ Y+ ], J+ w
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
) P4 h# L# S! ?- a9 D
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

% w; O7 a7 P4 [" R3 s0 M4 w11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
# k* n. y" D& g- U5 D4 J5 H
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
& u- D% j' g  Q1 _  c- ~! v
# ~  E& ^2 {. d8 V7 m# t% f! w0 W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。

All good things must come to end.

/ C9 x/ S8 S$ Y& fAll 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
% r, S8 F7 i. Q0 j$ n
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
9 {5 K# l9 b2 T& o
) C* `, p; @" _! |- K& |( {' S扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
2 A9 t3 }+ N2 W+ w
- ^  x8 z# Y  N/ w: H14. 江山易改，本性难移。
, m- d, T6 S* V9 E# n! B% q
0 I+ i6 `" F2 q9 iA leopard can’t change its spots.
4 P3 x3 w4 ]8 j$ h2 f
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
& Q3 g- u; A+ n5 p/ G! f- ]' e. l1 S
( A. J! L) S0 v# }+ V4 L- A4 A5 O15. 吃一堑，长一智。

( o( F4 Q1 y1 @0 b4 K: i$ J5 KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
( J0 k$ a% G& e# d
6 d6 S& L1 l% r' V% _* l8 @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。
) P+ ^0 v9 k. e1 b, z; c
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.

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.
9 X! `8 e! m* n- \2 v) L
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

3 M, o: z/ m! K% ^0 A* c! D煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
1 X) \0 U, w  Y' o
, I: Q& _- d8 O3 l( P1 `17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
6 j1 a/ z4 D; C% C8 T: l: x
. V: M' T) f6 x6 S6 xI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

5 I" M, C. o! B3 L哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

& @- i3 S: B6 O* ?18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
* o5 p! |8 T( S, S: F4 `
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
% H+ _4 p9 i+ U0 l' x# `' \1 ?
3 @# s5 _* l+ v9 N* C5 ?胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
& Z, E% ?) K3 l+ ?! r
7 T! q4 T' X* a! o( {- ?1 t' [4 }19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

: s* u3 ^) Q6 [; s2 [/ w' |The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
" W/ p9 q* o. b
1 k8 f0 g( Y, n  H& s. l! j6 d' o2 J5 DThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

8 ~; y* _7 h/ u; S- h% n/ A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。
) a6 P% M5 n7 V6 M& C2 H$ y
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 Q! Z3 E# V* J  Sbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

4 ~4 c% l8 p" }: W5 T) d上周日中午你去大统华了吗