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。
  f7 R8 R6 W. y4 v7 a
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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
: M/ E  }& _$ o: M. [) F, S% T9 U
- D2 R9 P7 P$ x' V% q( q动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
# h* J" {  Z: v! `
7 Y6 B2 @. W- _! k& s动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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
' F" [' b. R5 V$ m5 g
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
' r4 k7 K& s6 M! F1 n" [+ {
) S/ t9 H% N* e4 D4 u( OHe 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;

. _6 k" @% h$ N- D1 o1 Nrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
( D  s2 o& s3 D
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
  T6 R$ Q3 P4 a# Q% [; {* S7 E
( ]% @, G4 y' y, ?- W4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
7 W) G. p: |. T0 @' w/ i, d9 _6 U
  k5 ]" W9 D  _: M8 V* h+ y% P1 UHe 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.

# R! |4 o$ L: d0 ~/ B5 q( D# E5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
1 \8 X) p% g$ g6 _8 @' r
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.

6 o4 U7 i, R4 j4 Q1 d% ]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.
* t6 ^( O' k9 |6 U
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
( y+ ?. R9 j9 w
; l8 e3 G$ p; H. ]He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

5 |( c; s% R5 x6 |" V7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

# _# \4 p& I6 k: X, ?0 I6 p7 yThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

* l" T4 _) _( x张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
) R: w( e: I3 u! Y; \
5 V; f8 y* m5 B% c  Z8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

3 v9 R) g( C5 \; pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
0 B2 d( a* [2 N' G' J% T; C
% a( u& O  e/ I4 ?/ `, H/ N- ~名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
/ R2 e3 _2 }) E& G3 C$ g8 c
2 g- A4 X, ~7 z* d8 q- {* pdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
* m, R; r: @3 d6 v; O+ z
9 t) Y% T2 V# C+ Olive up to one’s reputation
, \% Z1 W+ N- Q# w- o
* S" |* d4 i: W( b9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
+ i4 b2 `2 I0 n6 j! g
3 }- Y- o/ W& x3 _  f! Q$ f8 kMy 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.”
6 G& L5 w5 e) x# ~7 G
3 }; [4 d% e4 [7 ~; I+ |1 p天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

: W6 C+ a) I; l3 M' ~0 B10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
' s# C5 U3 d: C  c' N
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.
7 u$ {2 }" u3 s6 D* q' B, }$ n3 a8 {
! n' M% S; ]; v, T3 s; U( D% E11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

, T' }/ x$ f/ O/ B( nTom 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 n2 h' w6 N1 |5 E9 f4 \9 MAll good things must come to end.
6 l1 k: u# p8 x( J% _/ T
" o  r3 P$ f) i, \6 DAll feasts must come to an end.
; ?- Q; F! l  g, w7 T3 m! p1 K
0 ?5 ]1 X8 C4 i* @. h: v$ `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.
4 p6 j% c- B; q$ E7 b5 o
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
/ Q) k1 ~1 J7 q6 q
2 g3 B, U+ J* v9 [* p! a( HWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

% M! g" f1 ?- q, X' ?1 o" u/ `1 o- k扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
0 |/ q% Z1 H0 p6 V" c4 s7 G: T
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.

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。
, i  U! B4 j: @( s/ p( 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.

6 }8 U' E) S1 g( a* F$ @, M借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

& h# y% T! K  {5 V0 v! z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.

6 _" h* [: @6 c# P" M" t- @哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
6 ~' B6 ]0 F. o. I
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
: f, ?; H% n) [% k$ G* v/ ]
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

& ]* e( x4 S% Z- P! Z; \& A19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

; R8 @5 f* y: t$ a1 NThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
2 Q% D1 t) c) ~: W; ^* C% R
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

) S/ D( T0 C% Q- o* S20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

% g' b( f1 I7 }9 `. |上周日中午你去大统华了吗