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.

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

: o* ?4 N9 Y* [  z1 n; v% Z动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

$ y- ?8 q5 O( _! f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
( B1 o6 H5 F3 ?7 N4 P+ c
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。
% b: Y" c& B, i& @2 C5 H7 X
0 f# {0 ^! f& x  EHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
7 n, _2 D+ l  C
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
5 p, @9 @6 H+ @: }+ q6 Y: R+ g
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

! E2 U5 W6 y0 M& {  @It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

) j0 C- E& S9 g4. 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.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
; B- `' P: T* Q
6 e  u- @; |$ Y  h, h& c7 A' rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

; [# C- L+ x& n0 T  i( dThe 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.

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.

, u4 M- P8 z5 v8 W0 X) p" w) n6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
- q  f0 n, S: v  z( S# [
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
1 Q' ^( A, @. [8 S9 Z3 _! p( q
! t+ J8 v/ @4 Y7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
" s: w6 i. T$ A- }( G) H% H% h0 Y
" D# V6 L9 ]6 n) 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.
. O" C1 g/ u$ f# A$ G2 A
: s! n% O( p/ Z8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

( R- G3 l6 Z8 W& P+ hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

$ G! y0 W% H) q5 p4 v9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

; G  V6 Q: v8 w* `& |* Y" VMy 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.”
0 s6 e$ G9 Y% _' @: ]/ z. ?
) y4 I2 }/ C1 m9 ~天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

" v. Z) _* Q( o9 g' p10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

# K  f' Z. U( f6 wHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
2 O# Y- L7 n2 T2 u+ H4 M. Z
$ ^& I# M, M( `$ O6 C( `' r6 k7 u画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

/ K0 t" W9 ~- {9 ~' @11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

7 J7 s+ j5 }9 D3 S! NTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

/ d0 f6 A+ B- T' {9 i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.

2 m+ ~3 P% t$ t12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

/ U( E0 x7 |8 y0 C! _2 NAll good things must come to end.
# H" A" Z+ m& B; _# F- [
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.
7 L# `* |" Y7 b
% f$ k7 F: s/ z* D5 A  g13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
: y0 c3 X& a  [4 w/ _; l$ ?/ }  L+ {) f8 ~
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
- v0 _6 X# Y8 {
# R0 ^5 P# [2 ^14. 江山易改，本性难移。

, S- c' _- I) I; F2 ^A leopard can’t change its spots.
, B2 c1 P( J" C# A4 S8 T$ y
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
! X0 r8 N# p9 m; `  _9 g$ a8 A
' j9 q5 E  g4 q2 M  u  M2 w4 v16. “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。
. M) F4 M- C, b6 g2 {
; w- K+ v/ j' T4 N8 c) W, 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.
2 A' s$ k1 l6 C
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.
/ X8 `+ k9 H; x0 p" y4 _3 C$ v
+ n0 G. u% Q: o借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

- o# i/ q6 J2 w! G9 S% }# _9 y煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
  R' k+ X5 s$ s* W
7 Z3 J1 d! C. P( N+ d' P0 N% H17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

7 f0 j8 J& \3 }, g. J$ m" tI 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

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

4 }5 y: g( O6 H* a* x3 S$ {$ G5 ]% ]* yHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
6 R% u0 O$ d) q, D& h+ [
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

9 n! ?; p# z: c' b4 g: X19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
0 ?& C; C+ Z% f7 }1 V4 N
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
  d" {& ]" Q1 H, Q. c
( B  G# N- U' a  TThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
$ b; w, w+ C1 Z$ d4 h
# Z+ n4 L; P, w+ J- @' N9 e20. 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。
) f" Q* B$ e: q% }: h5 U
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

% `( Z' s! Q& H9 S% k上周日中午你去大统华了吗