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.
5 s3 Q5 C0 X% I# X0 C
1 a1 e6 ~* ?1 N5 _动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
" Y( M# t) n. _0 A% a5 t( f
9 t" t* e2 H) _# C: g) e动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
& x( e# v8 Q; p& K' x) Z
7 y4 e- ^5 o& ]1 `6 N动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
2 M% L1 r: T6 j) P/ F
5 {- k. V( T9 i1 D0 n# ^他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
5 g# `7 k( q  t/ R% i. x$ b; G
) t2 V" i: n$ U2 p( ?刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

# R& |" y: f! e1 M  Q2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. S, T, N1 B  }: ~* G) N# A不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
' a+ P) a) Y, k
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。
7 D# A& W$ v& ?, v! d4 M9 l
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

6 c" o' n/ U* s6 F4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

1 d9 n$ M7 _: yHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
" j# k% Q! s* O# r+ p# d
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
1 k9 S# C. i. A
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

: g% D% I2 V% e- Z5 w$ Q$ p2 nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
$ [* K7 L8 y3 t/ x/ V
! \) P: L8 ~3 X5 {( N! OIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
0 N4 _/ n- X: H$ V  g6 m3 r( k  b7 f
1 V4 y  X! I( x1 A, s2 G5 g: ]4 |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.
0 [, t% \& S# Q
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
! {4 j6 D. U4 U* V8 I- K# ^9 i
9 s$ H( T: ~  L$ `+ z3 uHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

$ E. f& F4 x; P4 `) N+ J. N7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
7 K2 Q6 W+ o  d1 D9 C
( |) I( n6 @, J9 l& A; g# rThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
# q+ u/ z- u9 b& ], t/ a4 u
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。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
/ }2 c. `* y* }/ x. f( J% g- `6 H5 w
4 m" ?. O0 i  H3 n6 Kdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
  M2 ?1 [6 ^, ?) v! _9 b
) {: ^, c8 s+ M5 E. i3 @live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

* q9 B7 x; t/ E; bMy 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.”

  U" a7 t4 b3 E2 B2 {天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
6 o, _5 G2 K" C( t% m6 h5 l
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
8 C. I& J6 g# D& j! R: F" a9 |' p! e
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
' i( a& `6 X" N& N8 \
$ q6 w9 L, E2 i2 D11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
" h1 @: q9 @6 F$ r/ z! z* t
. L1 u4 a) Y( L& LTom 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.
* Q* e% n8 ^8 D
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

: L# o* N& o5 }# T6 C2 WAll good things must come to end.
7 y$ _6 \5 C, u& L( R$ ]
All feasts must come to an end.
% a0 j/ [4 p" ]) Q+ Q' [
: R% ^' Y3 v/ Z. ?2 L! k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.

+ F. a& {" h+ E) M13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

- j' o+ Z! q4 f  _, dWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

4 v* n- R! G$ K$ G' l3 v" [! J/ ^扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

- W, R0 Q1 k. a1 U8 CA leopard can’t change its spots.
1 \& }! P+ H& S
0 h% }+ ^" Z  F7 ?% B0 }1 R7 o* Q江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
$ V8 G  k9 N( L3 Z" D% I( B
8 |8 Y4 Y0 {3 W! @15. 吃一堑，长一智。

& {. U7 ^$ ]# W1 [/ h- \" t# Q" wA 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。
5 `, n! v6 n# e: M4 B! U/ M% y, ~
9 M* g8 Q$ S. r1 G8 ^! R& V) s+ F  d" @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.
4 k4 d+ S% D7 T+ d& O) m
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
2 ]0 X, J7 R. V8 b2 A$ U; F2 K
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
& S' \# H' U7 G- I/ u( o: P
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
8 M1 e1 h  k5 u& _2 W
& i$ B: e# l3 a4 |; oI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
6 X, @/ V" L& j6 {" D, \
% B+ |4 w2 \% Y- f$ T哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

- ]  Z* E; E. R5 ~3 R18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
, z9 [' Y- \2 N( T! }4 G/ V& j
5 b) V+ L1 G# w3 \; ^* ]5 X* YHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

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。

' G/ q2 O# u5 Y+ c2 }The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

( g1 ]$ o& H0 w* B# b8 H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。
* O" a: s) \2 I+ W1 R
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