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。
: C! C8 t( l- i( V3 t0 C  R4 ~. n
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.

; U% p' [% V- X) Z% X) Q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

/ n' z9 T* K2 d  U# M$ x$ u2 T- v4 U动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
7 T! b, x6 B* b; O' \
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
" o" @. Q$ e$ C" \3 u
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。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
3 P5 D" D) X6 H% r, a9 y
/ s, N, t* g# v$ P& k不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

( K+ O/ F/ N4 [: @/ hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
  ]6 g2 Y! M! b9 h2 T+ G
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
  o$ o  o0 @0 R2 I% c- ?# U  ~
6 e7 i7 {$ ~9 A% @8 U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
, u# Z1 C5 `1 i) b
- t6 U5 _" A8 D+ z- q+ `" D  vHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

* E5 ]+ N% |+ \% s0 V石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
" {: W+ E( F4 ^  P# S- d
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

; Q% e; d: }, Q; r, k; p' q4 w# xThe 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.
7 T+ ?* {# _' p& ]
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
( ~* q% u: ~! }. ^5 `
0 b' R3 S" q, a+ Y$ g- F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。
9 t, n5 U! G. u* ^3 s+ P( _
1 J8 `, r* h" L6 vHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

2 A* ?  L* g0 M! l5 |7 b$ ^This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
0 a) `7 `8 ]' p- e3 W
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
  P! S! {) o1 B$ R$ P+ ?
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
& I  B8 {/ D, f- H
( G+ p( W0 j6 G" j9 {( r& t# ~It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
* P# A) @9 k4 i7 K: V& X4 h8 F6 D
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
, J; R5 M3 ]% q( @
deserve the reputation one enjoys;

* F8 V8 h8 R! c$ M0 s1 }+ o% Hlive up to one’s reputation
5 k0 O+ s! z: f  [1 ^2 m% A5 z
7 U; @6 d9 V! d1 L9. 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.”
0 }  s( k# R5 t. o, X% ]- p- `6 H
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
2 G+ z$ G( Q7 z% E1 ~
( w2 R2 Y) F; j8 [% u4 _  B, X" e2 Y10. 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.
2 J; @# C# b( n8 B# j' i# u
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

/ d3 f; T: w9 ATom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

. T" F: X9 Y! Q, z& U, q" f. V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.

% E: t9 I/ A' T12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
1 z5 C9 r, S: \2 L  n
) V( Y: J. D$ X: W$ \+ bAll good things must come to end.
1 S% b7 B4 R. J. G+ _) j9 j
6 E& ]; p5 ^2 @All feasts must come to an end.
. @# J& x) r* L/ |' Z: [9 I- k
" ^- s  k% V/ A1 V3 l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.
1 ]) W( n* J4 @0 S, T; T
- ?1 g) L% o$ m& ^9 R13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
( d) _: J3 D& u# e' S  R4 z! E
- O! B4 h! q& q; J- T' Y' }7 OWith 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.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
) f' O8 O  s! G: }# |
A leopard can’t change its spots.
* k+ }- L8 N4 u; A4 F
7 ?, t/ w2 @# |& |江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
0 ]; E. Y2 S- |3 a; I% n, j
15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

4 h1 f2 T) I3 t* O# A' [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。

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.
0 o7 Z7 |4 x( j. Q( R4 H
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
, h2 Z) c. W( g' E
* S8 B$ H2 o1 k/ u煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

4 Q& I0 J: Z6 \: x# q17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
$ I% z- C: T% Y; f2 M
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
3 V4 L1 H9 R+ J* w, S) M% _
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
2 V  l3 P) j3 F. L" Z
- d9 P* R* t' E$ n. R18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
3 H0 T- h" T4 }6 }& I6 K' K5 Q
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
# s" b4 d* E$ F
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
2 Z% R2 b! w8 K# F
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
5 j* M+ i7 [$ b9 J2 Z
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
1 L; ?3 V1 m: D5 y! f4 N- ?
0 h1 e: h9 n0 R! ?+ |) f20. 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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
- A( l/ h' k0 y. V8 J3 Y$ b1 W! L; }billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗