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.
# o' F8 E. [$ r7 ?1 u
' t- \; U' c6 C( l- ?; SShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
. d/ T9 ^) |' j. c6 [* v
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
5 c7 \. L8 m9 W1 Z9 b
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

2 f3 K* d: ?( J/ }# I8 p. \动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

7 g+ q% x$ G: O" A; E3 O他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
: O  N& H. W; X) c
- H5 u, g# R' p+ w# P: u- B1 X刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
4 S" A2 |' ]0 B$ n0 B+ a
# X2 m% f6 L% ~2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
- P6 Q3 u& H& W& b( P/ a
He 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;
# }# A; `- a/ A( `
' S- A( _( M  V% P" Vrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 H; P" Z2 U6 o- {# Z3. 十年树木，百年树人。
3 w. I! W1 V# G( t
$ g. Z' e- s' _, zIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
, J/ D4 b* T% Y. T$ V5 c
' O( U; h+ d% _; {8 QHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
! k; G# _. U# C1 {# V  U
1 ?0 y0 l" m, d$ q$ v石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
5 J9 S; H# x5 H
/ E1 o! r) D/ x5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

8 H+ D, a1 r/ Q4 Y$ H( j2 m$ k- bThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
' S+ x6 K/ ?( K1 ]
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

6 z: O5 m% g4 [8 {9 N) @If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
! m+ N1 o0 ~& t/ [+ n1 ^- y9 ^$ L
% q9 m- H2 K2 c9 \! S$ ?# O8 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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
- V9 p; L! |5 U- |! I
+ ]/ t6 x2 i. f* ^He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
3 r7 ^# d3 t+ |" m1 b0 @
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
" a: c: s* |! p* G
/ u0 V; d4 N& f, v% R张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
' @" X, d  c0 y! x" f: E
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
& k+ F$ t+ u3 A% Q2 ~
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
4 o# G; T0 {7 `6 k4 Z
deserve the reputation one enjoys;
$ z9 N, v$ x% m/ e- W' \
live up to one’s reputation
# j7 K5 o4 i, D2 I
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.”

& S2 \0 G2 ^; t& m2 c0 n) T  i' h天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
9 g3 n1 n  ], y! ~
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

' v; o( \3 |# Y( G5 t5 q$ A1 `8 _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.
$ Z0 l7 X$ \* Y  |( T* p( E
# p- Z- d' o; a# [2 B11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

; m+ x+ S, m9 J) ETom 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.
. M9 X" b$ o  i# W* T
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
7 }3 n6 L% Q! n" M
" }  h" V6 T) f1 QAll good things must come to end.

+ B" f. R: e- _& Y( wAll feasts must come to an end.
" {7 K! U" T. v! i1 h4 t
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.

3 {+ V/ Y& P+ d  e4 B8 L5 R4 Q0 E% M9 M13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

/ J2 `1 a! H( u7 q/ i. n# Z0 MWith 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.

: w% F) X5 [* K14. 江山易改，本性难移。
8 ~) s8 K6 t, B' G. x
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.

! z$ w; |& Z. ^7 @% I15. 吃一堑，长一智。
5 Z2 w, M/ @: y! i9 t
+ H+ \6 g" h5 L  O' o- R* jA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
3 ?# `8 x) G+ \2 [' s- r* f( e
+ a* H) ]4 p2 A- _7 o0 W16. “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。

4 }+ z: p2 E3 Z/ D; ^" ?9 \# bTalk 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.
& {$ w* b( U! G1 Y
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.

" ^7 u' ]  Z6 D1 A, q: M5 Z( p借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
$ A* O5 W8 d) U) @/ \% N8 Z
: S. P9 d1 a# D( P: N1 r1 L6 j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.

& c! h  B5 V! R( V' k/ }) h哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
0 g4 z+ @. E! w2 [1 w2 Z2 }# b
' P1 L( p8 X8 T! `18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
: O. @* o; E/ k/ ]0 ]
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
5 M* ~/ M7 `1 z
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
- [( G9 X9 [6 `1 H9 }9 {
1 x! v# v1 }, F6 HThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
; t' m* y( Y' n- o5 D5 ]; P2 M
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
( l# L) \. ~4 G& A1 G: U+ M* @; {+ o
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。

  ?$ }% K' ^5 fHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
; I7 F5 j: R3 z5 ^  jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗