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。
0 I& E; ?+ C. Y. [. z) \+ F/ [
/ P$ I( v  i& O# ZShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
! F' s4 K! ~. x! u7 b
* Z5 n) u8 ^0 M! f' Q9 RShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

& D- n4 ?# q; ^1 a" ^动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

0 m1 e' L( ~. D$ e  b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。

$ B5 M. l4 E4 R1 r' _! r+ T8 w* @* oHe 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;
' S( _# C* j3 ~
) R8 x9 Y! ]& {: k: Orefuse to give up until all hope is gone
0 F, M; t1 O6 X6 O
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

3 k) |% G/ I- U4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

$ M% f% Z+ ^9 {8 E" ]( q! {2 _4 U5 |He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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。

( V  _2 m# {3 i; w) C  _The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
$ A/ S4 t0 G1 X% F1 E
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
4 H, c9 r+ s2 X8 \% `* p3 U
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
7 S8 @& E! J1 P! }: J$ {, A
0 u7 q- d8 V3 }5 {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.
( l. U9 k5 u, ^, b: [0 Z2 Y+ z
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
3 x. i3 [" M8 J4 R; u) O
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

1 r5 T% w+ F0 F* Y- i7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
6 M, S' {( [, }8 y) ]: {4 v) v
. T8 w5 ?# P) X' o7 DThis 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。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
* g( C( O7 Y& Y0 O: R* X
; I8 `/ e" \8 L' tlive up to one’s reputation
& Q/ o: {7 q4 ]* |
  c3 P5 K" [2 ?+ t9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
* h  y6 E" ]$ _
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.”

: T8 z( m4 n+ M& Z, R! r) b5 }天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
( y- {1 z" M8 ^5 }/ M( s+ G, u
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
7 R# K3 ]$ S3 I: `4 i, u  M. z1 l' p
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

( q- e9 P' h5 d, o! K画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

5 ?6 F" Y. [! o11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
3 g5 a$ l6 r% O. K1 H4 x0 k$ O2 P
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
1 K& q  _9 k. |0 L( u1 O# x
8 x# K% a+ A% `7 `: s2 [5 i( x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.

. K& u- v7 o% v. ?12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

' W* E0 |+ Y# ^7 z% m! M2 M) eAll feasts must come to an end.

# ~$ {4 e0 v$ `% o- s# d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.
' S: F! r" G; u' m, t% B
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
# M$ G( K( Z$ F) |& ?" u
8 |% v8 |' p& yWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
7 d8 l% W/ P/ l( R3 Q/ a# S
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
% x( O* p" e$ |! u4 \% G8 h& z
9 u- n0 H0 v, i14. 江山易改，本性难移。
* d# b5 g' j; D# L  F3 S2 T
A leopard can’t change its spots.

江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
6 \: u$ X% I  P8 Z. _8 G4 C3 j
15. 吃一堑，长一智。

( o/ z2 O( G# g0 ^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。
0 T- ]4 @; X( Q! n% |  v4 |8 U
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.

6 f4 |3 C9 N* d, {: }+ T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.
' c, x' D0 h8 i# t! C# N- x# G. s/ U! t
, y/ G' m3 }( `$ D# Q" r3 _) C- w' e借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
/ o$ o; G$ m- A4 m, Q
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

  x0 i. g6 F6 j/ Z5 \: j" l17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

/ ?; f5 \$ m# h0 qI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
1 E8 m+ F5 `( e0 @8 @' l, I
. Q  G/ W2 `8 a4 q哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
6 e5 Z' j" z* n; \, B6 c
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
" m9 Z3 s' Y( s* V5 m
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
; C0 D9 Z& e7 j3 N5 U" [: ?
* g$ X. ~8 m  v9 Y5 n胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
) d2 B. |' f: P1 [0 U' R
1 q. J# ^7 V* f19. 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.
% I2 d/ m( s! @4 A- {
: K* V  y5 D6 b' [+ n: M+ \The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
3 Q( [9 D: h; e
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
& t7 r* C; i+ `, T8 K
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。
5 F8 n1 F- v  T5 f' h
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

5 b! e/ h! x& X) k3 [, Q( @上周日中午你去大统华了吗