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.

, Q' s0 w0 m1 h2 r; Q$ K/ `She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

/ x$ y+ U. u  G  l/ a! h动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
# q  T3 Q5 R5 u- t9 B
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

3 t9 `6 L3 W9 d3 E9 R& f& 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.
: h% o* A% q3 e) V
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

" E- b' w# Y  I2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
6 \. e: _$ W6 A! d
He 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;
7 h1 M" h* k1 t; u: d" i7 L& L
: s# d- y7 u1 {refuse to give up until all hope is gone

6 c, W+ m$ C! N& _3 d" n3. 十年树木，百年树人。

8 z5 v' n1 x7 rIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
" `9 o5 k3 \3 S6 `
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
: b* m1 C/ r$ `: z: R5 b7 d
% G8 ]. {* d+ P4 o" M! {. ^石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

# k* G) [6 M- Z" ?' c& |  u& i5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
# X9 z4 e) K! j. e, j! U
4 W7 X! j4 n0 lThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

+ z$ ]1 Q$ t% AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

% t, P% c/ }# E6 W; p4 tIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

) i- C6 o* P% s7 l4 N6 s' O. y- U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.

1 Y) w; y6 q& Y) x* d6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
6 T" d+ A/ w1 j* S
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

# }: x2 t( [6 Y: J3 E7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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。
/ y1 \$ v/ `! y3 g0 K- n
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
" T8 N/ [1 R, v, t2 U* s2 a
* S+ |8 r  n9 c$ D* [. K2 p+ F名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
1 Z; q5 \1 C+ z# v4 y7 Y; X' F* t
0 K" q$ n+ k$ U/ D+ d% Hdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
. e3 n1 U" I- b; ]2 O/ G6 m7 t
live up to one’s reputation

8 I% J. R2 @4 |9. 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.”
6 m4 R2 j7 m: ?: {
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
2 k' ]  y% T! Z* H) W2 R# k" U  C
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
2 T: A+ ^0 q2 P: \2 s4 [( X+ Z
' j3 b2 J' n8 N/ Q0 B" fHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
& l$ x$ b  r) h
3 ^- U4 P" C$ D( \, x画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

9 r. R. F( r5 M1 o11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
$ A4 f; Q/ `7 i+ o0 ?5 d
Tom 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.
* D; E4 P" J9 Y" b: ]; a
2 J$ u, T; F( f4 }1 v0 M  \; m( J: B12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

- ~  _4 R8 w/ k' Z" w8 Y# z7 ?: iAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
+ v! y8 c. M! ?4 W7 i
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.
2 a& k( `) G; _
) _6 r. H) r# Y& V13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
6 a6 I3 {7 _5 O% p" H4 q$ @3 z
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

9 ^' J9 ~7 T* [/ |扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

3 s) N0 U! }, i14. 江山易改，本性难移。
! I7 D& X3 K$ ]3 o7 o  y- Y
6 C" H& a% l/ F) V3 y* TA leopard can’t change its spots.
* T! b( J+ O+ P+ ^# C4 w
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
- c; [# X) R' Z7 M- h/ B
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
! A! ]9 M" S- \: [' I! {& c  k
A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

$ x  C6 U$ A9 @, e16. “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.
# W, ?0 A! T. h! v
0 s$ Q3 g6 ]2 d( w+ U" e" Q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.

- l- M8 o9 X/ }' ?# T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

8 {5 t* a. O/ E/ F' J17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
  h* M  w3 Z( a% K
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

& v6 F- s4 j/ l+ a8 v1 G% S9 N哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
2 C9 g. G9 E* B0 _8 k3 m
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
. b# [6 Y0 w$ t; w- P) V9 S
8 V2 A! k. M) k* @5 n胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

! _& h; {! @+ k( G3 l% a5 E: |19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
7 r* E* i; T. y/ m' F" e5 K
: [$ i! H! w+ ~; W' S8 ]/ ~& bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
% D, v+ O* ?5 I. ]& \
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
0 E$ o' R) [5 J( f3 @) c
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

$ J+ ~* i' y. S; v) D+ H9 x20. 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!
$ \; p& I: n" \; r' s' ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗