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.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

1 e& e8 u: l* ^+ s! D/ x动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
) f# w: }& h+ t8 d5 \
  O2 R& @) v$ I, ?6 z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
$ J6 V, j1 X" n8 E7 G# F' y& C" A0 g
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
5 r, d( r" ^' X4 _' t/ @" y
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

1 W; v* r5 X/ w8 w3 X不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
! D) w2 q- I/ m: ?; N. I# a6 h
refuse to give up until all hope is gone
& A: m+ c/ T& Y8 |8 F2 y6 _' O
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

/ X, p9 m2 z/ p) Y" WIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

( e  H5 Y( g/ [2 T9 V9 r4. 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.
: ?; I1 C2 \7 i! b
& l$ h' [0 m$ L. _; O' e石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
7 l3 m' v6 H# d( s
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
' C' C7 |/ n# G5 W( M) ]# G
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.

* _8 s; N8 u1 P' P; a1 `5 PIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
# P3 ~: V5 V1 U* b2 o' m
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.
- Y7 ]" }6 I3 C+ \0 k' {  r2 m& ^
5 b6 _' I2 ^1 n' T9 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.
6 G; i# o/ I) |2 e3 f
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
) W5 @9 H" |" Q* P3 ^- ^+ O
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
: _. Q3 e$ x' ?  A- D
9 I- z0 P  G9 Y" {It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
3 X( _6 @: Z5 v) }
# P2 ?% w* U0 E" b' H2 R. G名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

5 Z" l1 a% g% ^, s# Wdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

. q1 s; L0 |* x  a7 p! a7 Z. t9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
8 x: _. h! e! ]. @3 @
" R5 n1 G5 r0 y2 n6 o9 MMy 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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

, S+ ~! Y$ m! j/ @" A0 f: v10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
/ m- \0 }) L" s5 _
4 M; w: k* M# @5 R5 f. u8 K+ X; t- M& w/ LHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

* m$ `; ?# j; m3 P" `% {画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
, g  l5 b7 z' u
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
% I  R& W" C5 r4 J, ?
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.
4 E! c+ z% F' v' i, Q0 z+ z
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
% P5 T: ~) j9 f& j) E
All good things must come to end.
+ t" {4 b/ c6 o% F* b! Q
8 v4 l/ f* t# D% L6 ]: eAll feasts must come to an end.
) \# n) O; p( ]2 n7 c/ }
% S- E  W3 S5 C4 S/ k$ a+ E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。
9 E7 R& }7 X7 O7 r' t) p
/ Q2 q, J+ M2 H. V% UWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
: Y+ {" `2 @; _0 \
6 ]# H' v3 `) y  R) y扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
* T0 t* ^' G5 b8 e, a  v" `
# n3 c6 P! g( R% EA leopard can’t change its spots.

) v" f+ X- {* F) B5 P7 z江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
8 g, T- F0 `% P- A* ^2 u+ g7 |6 r
- W+ u1 ^- ^& O+ Z, i  Q15. 吃一堑，长一智。

9 U4 e5 I+ A& eA 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.
1 K; q1 @- s6 W* N
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.

( D5 O" b* C/ G4 [  z) p借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

+ G) W2 m- Q- q. P2 B煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
( }2 B$ t4 @8 f* G
' d# h9 \6 M1 @: e9 }. _3 c3 ]17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
1 {+ ?4 b  ~5 J& O" J! e9 h
- y. n; W+ h5 q' y6 W0 j2 u* fI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

& T  {. Q! M4 ?) j" Z5 X4 y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。

% v$ h) J. F  C. N6 L$ ~2 a$ LHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
4 @( k* m* _1 @( k/ |* z
5 ~3 ~9 B, B% v胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
$ y: n' i$ y4 K2 p: l" Y
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
2 }' i) p" S+ a& Z  A
& X( f6 P1 u  y! i- fThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
+ |* T- A+ T' B; R# g2 [" M4 N
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

  W8 x9 e9 k! `) K9 k  zHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
4 F% D7 W8 q$ O& M1 o# y; ]billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗