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# A5 V/ n+ o! {* i
6 t& C) \) k0 S1 D6 a' OShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
  ~2 P) c6 A. }% @& F
9 J% C, k3 _% s$ t6 K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

. z$ |% Y9 K3 L3 t" o动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
3 I; e- B8 y5 _* c
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
+ D3 ?. E0 K* \$ f" p
& e. d' T5 I7 \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

/ A3 d, I. Q# x& A8 m3 m2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
- L5 W/ p$ l9 D7 Z9 k  E
& l& g# @) x4 X  t( e! V/ w% s" [He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

: ]% F8 r: V: k' o不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

# `' v4 x' [) `! \; Wrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
; D5 B/ v- r) ^& G# m8 C, }, a4 K
5 a8 f# x0 D4 N3. 十年树木，百年树人。
9 n6 {/ Q& @, d+ u# P
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
- |# q4 N9 `! Y
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
4 D6 _/ T2 m0 k% g( ?' q, b* m
5 w& [* x+ g9 |- {" ZHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
8 B) @9 j0 a( ?/ ]# y" u
8 t6 l4 P; x! w+ F石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
- F, I0 P5 l5 Q/ n$ f9 g
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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.
% w: o  y/ @) Z
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

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.
' B, c# k7 ~; C2 K( X8 f% ?. U
9 `6 {* k6 x% w; P6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
8 y: d, x5 H  ]" C  `
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
( D" i, `( m. f+ v2 C3 ]' P
- g' S0 z! O$ D3 Z3 C. Y0 \7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
/ ?* n/ {$ k" s+ W: `
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.
6 T% u1 M7 j  H: _+ w) c
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
# K2 x- @) }9 ^2 C: i# ~' Y2 h
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
: ?) E6 n9 ]. h. ]) H9 p4 g! C& c
. l" L5 P( {7 @+ a% Q, P6 a" v- M名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
5 `) i, F2 P) R* X9 @
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。”

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
$ X4 Q- `2 X* n# g
( ]- n$ B2 k" J, w8 v6 Y3 I8 ^10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
2 Q8 g, Z$ E3 v0 A* W
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
5 ?  X& @3 n9 N' J* L& G
0 O6 j0 u+ S# a5 D/ \4 d! u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。

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.
, o) v! F3 y: Y  X% T3 B
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
2 `& Y' ?3 N  _" M9 J
/ S* }5 n9 e) }  M! ]1 y9 |All good things must come to end.
1 k5 d  P  z  \, |% b" \$ C
  |# ?9 ?) _2 uAll feasts must come to an end.
8 V- c- u5 G) {  B6 C# J) p
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。
! u2 S& Y# @3 `1 B  m, Z; ^) X
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

/ A( k# C- F; R8 H扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

6 E, L' v+ E& U7 y* e1 D14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
+ o- U; n0 m- W
: }$ V; M: V& Y' t' Y江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
8 W* q" K0 ~3 W) J/ d/ t! U
- I! K' t  z; b+ E% }2 E8 N16. “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。
% M  e3 O) O) _& D2 q
& ?- r' R; K% fTalk 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.
1 W( B1 b* a$ I4 {+ l
3 h# v* K9 l& x+ [1 i2 f9 C$ Z0 {借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

& \# @& X% ]* b6 L7 Y. v% h0 D煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
1 I* A/ G$ P% r# i. t
4 F  p) Z3 l& C5 B17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
6 f' _7 p+ _$ _8 W5 @9 q7 |
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
: i; Y, E! E) `2 Q3 P9 }
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

; Q& o# Y% R) T: ]  }He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
( U+ _3 i: T- J
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
7 e; l* E8 Z  }4 |8 ~
1 }$ S/ r, H$ B/ r( O" x19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
0 E: M% L: `& F9 h: X) _6 h5 w2 a
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
; W7 e! ]. L. b, d3 `
* X, d* M! Z. U2 M0 L7 x# GThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
) j/ k" O( m9 J3 J' q- D& {
& |1 ?7 M/ I. c0 B- v! ]+ z扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

2 J6 h6 ^8 \* Q4 T$ T: W20. 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。
- ?( `. I! v! u2 {
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