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。

* i: N; v) @# @! O+ C5 }/ i6 N* mShe 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.
. X# _6 d: m! Y, H) m
0 `/ @; K3 T4 U2 v1 U动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
. u0 Q- t% m' A% W0 }! B2 J
8 e, a) R' z1 L$ |3 @7 f6 U- Y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
, ~# H2 M7 l- {6 w# Y
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
, A$ n, J! H4 q/ t
4 D& s2 P& ^  X5 ~/ iHe 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;

0 }2 K3 W2 T' H" X; d2 qrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

, ?; q/ ^( ^8 a. a% M4 y; i3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
0 e5 q+ z, {, y( Z
4. 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.

# A! `. B5 i) n+ K) l石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

- w# X  D' r9 `  ~; C9 I. y3 b, w5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
" x/ ?3 r* o1 E' W
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

8 B8 U: I$ v) B; i+ g. XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
, h: q5 [0 E. d- n3 }: ^# L5 D% j8 k! ^
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
: j% `1 g6 }+ K, i& e
4 e2 |) L0 y5 g, S! y! n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 E$ U' r$ P# F5 }6 b- r2 R5 M; J
& p' X" b7 q7 g' A/ J4 o6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
* j6 r% }$ B0 }7 y5 T9 ?( ^
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
$ U) Q. O$ ]5 |; x
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
) y# a  A  S' H  a" O. ?
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

) ^7 d$ b# U, q6 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.
2 R9 X. D! n( o! n& S, h! {
5 j! W/ O" B1 K% L, Q8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
; C# v: F1 x3 ^7 H4 M7 x, F( F
- c. u2 y0 w4 `8 z# _5 \+ G2 P4 zlive up to one’s reputation
, U" E7 N9 h& z' R; j% ~( A
1 d/ R4 Y  B; x3 y9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
6 d8 I% m' G) r3 I2 _, T
1 y- x, {1 b( }( e$ ]/ 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.”
/ R4 \4 e4 A/ _6 j+ x; h
1 F4 b! B/ N+ Y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

$ @0 T( E# T6 d: nHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

/ M4 y$ |# |( ?& ]+ y# t画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

0 I% L( U; j8 F9 l. _6 r11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
2 {7 J- X) n/ E' A2 Y. ]5 Q
) z) x7 T8 O2 a) o. HTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

4 R8 Q: k& t) f) ~$ l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。

) L( p& F# v& k0 _. DAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
& W/ V( w  \0 j( B+ M
( Z# c1 i7 v9 u' n3 n; w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.
+ ^! T& }8 B& n5 `2 y
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
4 S2 m  \4 t! R8 s
/ R. U  ?5 c1 r) _7 HWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

1 U, m: |* X' e2 p/ J2 G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.

7 C& j: \# C; t! e江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
/ C0 _4 m4 T) ^" O4 P$ y( l7 L. H
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
, t" |1 \- d' p
A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

& E3 A( t' W- O4 y" R2 z16. “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。
9 D$ ?" U6 W" X! P4 Q- L+ y' a
7 }- c- u% Z( q  S  CTalk 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.
* J" |" l! B. s& _7 Q- ?" }6 W+ F
. G( A& H- ]1 l/ @; q6 k借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

$ ^4 u* W8 i1 u* u17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
8 j$ @7 k, g2 I, r+ l9 s1 m9 x
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
* Y2 |# `. f. k5 n
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

* _: T) a# A5 W4 |* E2 A7 z18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
0 f3 ?" J# j2 D: K2 L
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
8 C9 g1 O$ R) e9 L, }
0 B; @* m' G' q胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
  n1 t1 \  k# a+ c/ ]) F
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

6 f8 P( R8 P! [5 ^( \4 v; [& AThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

& z% ]. A- ?% `! B. ^+ O* w7 {+ d# yThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

; ~' v) j* f! M1 T; i20. 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。
2 \5 J* R- n; \  C, j0 J9 k
  k* k& F: H; D+ H9 b0 d: m% O. YHe 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

7 V) v  ?  m2 ^4 W& F$ B上周日中午你去大统华了吗