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.
7 x6 `! `/ X& w* t4 F" i/ y
7 r8 {% ?4 H8 `3 |# p4 u动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

9 a% g. F1 N# Q- p6 X' h, |动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

7 ~( s! N  s; _# ?& b. `* y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。
- @% f' q2 e/ Q9 Q: U
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 D  N! ?4 C# w; o; b- s不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
6 }9 R, k5 I* E5 ?. O1 _2 j  X
refuse to give up until all hope is gone
) a3 N8 \8 M! E( `
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

  e/ S9 P" T3 [( V1 P5 sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

5 U. E3 W9 y% l4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
4 j' c* H' [- ^0 u& X( L5 q) V; X
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

+ e" @, V% j; J# Q/ c石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
- b+ J4 T4 V' ?' K/ G* _9 X
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

9 l. l+ I; h: {$ q6 rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
! H- K& q% T: m
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
/ C8 S1 o9 E4 f6 F) ]$ }' T/ 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.
5 t3 \" z* O! T+ W) ]
! O. M1 D7 J4 [" V# R/ ^. }7 j7 a6. 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.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

! r  U& ?5 c5 L" v& aThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
6 j! G* Q# g4 j! T" f
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
1 N% }1 D8 ~" U
" ]2 b" m' x6 f8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
. ?( S- N9 r4 Y$ g: ^9 t4 \
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
3 A4 T; `& x' Y+ O
: i0 r4 F; d8 |3 @! Z名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
% I0 v1 z5 y! o  ~3 y9 x$ n
deserve the reputation one enjoys;

: V1 A8 X, L8 X! dlive up to one’s reputation

; n( }& F# u3 i) N9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

; e: u# U) q! {8 Q+ N' J! C) lMy 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.”
+ w" d) G; B9 r% K5 N
. g/ J+ X7 _3 a/ L. W; H天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

9 l+ k. Q$ S' ^1 m( ]9 g% b, x6 w- S10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

7 u- l9 a" @- ~/ Y% t" x7 S; L& eHe 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.

. g3 _  L! ]0 |5 a11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

9 E9 L, u. E6 E9 S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.

% Q. z* z. W0 f" k% r12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

& Z% s8 E% f3 H- @$ E3 V% LAll good things must come to end.

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.

13. 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.
: g2 h. G2 n' U  N8 Q3 x
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

9 I% l! }; j, ]# I; x; v9 U5 {A leopard can’t change its spots.
$ a% t. h9 X- C$ {5 c. V+ E, I: e" y
) H, q8 f3 o) I江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

  ]# N# ?& U. W! \. Y4 W0 p: d1 x15. 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。

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.
. f) }% \; `5 E4 |; H& M( r
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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
: A5 e3 ~8 x' Y) H  K4 u0 _0 L  q
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。
' B) d( f4 y, j6 e+ ]" ?$ R
( J* `0 w6 n. Y8 n9 cI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

  K& P( x; ?: m哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
3 i5 I1 j! D+ l+ p; `4 b' x
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

/ y5 ^4 i8 f# M8 f9 y9 xHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

( `# H# _% X! x+ U/ U/ s* v% I胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

8 [1 [. B5 |. ~/ M% l- Q$ K! Z19. 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.
1 [2 K1 a8 t% L# e# m5 `9 ]
: n" z* I/ {" U! `6 Q- ]0 v6 WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
1 P- k9 S2 V9 |" w3 Q5 E2 ?
- O3 ]6 e- Q, P: E扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
; o) m4 P( Q& s1 T8 y
- N! p8 ~; c* F6 n1 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗