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.

1 c) K& ?" C( P  `3 c# ^She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
2 a. W$ Y9 M8 h' A/ h- c4 J
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
2 ]7 t# S. ^6 n4 K3 }4 \) D! M8 k4 _
' O1 l5 o- f* g$ F4 b. K$ d. I他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

6 c2 D9 M# A4 q0 A: Q8 w6 u) p% H: J9 h4 v刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 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.
5 Z9 O1 z' u6 q2 @/ s/ U$ z
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
3 J$ Q/ a$ K# z8 ~$ i
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It 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。

% a9 S' k9 [' ?3 p4 T' V7 rHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
& G  a- v8 f7 e( y& Z* J3 z
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
" h' ^$ A9 c8 @6 j
  }+ O& `8 s) T$ a: X: ?3 B1 b5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
. H7 U1 F  ]! E9 @: p4 _1 z
$ x" W0 f& i% g, K  mThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
% C& T3 ]' Q( N' l
  i+ E6 T0 ^7 C" QThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
' a- I( M* M5 d2 {
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
) m. B$ w2 @! S9 H7 b3 p. j8 v
$ |9 Q4 F( j2 r. B5 [. y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.
' t% o8 m% v: k) Z- B! @# {
) |: a7 R8 D# |: @" L+ z6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
0 t! {7 c3 _( L. l
" H0 X& S9 @( U0 P; E: ^: D# BHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

% d5 H% c! c! V6 b7 c. R7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
# s5 _; t' n* X8 u. {7 f
: }4 K" h0 t6 {$ ?4 [7 L1 rThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

$ ?. f+ s. b& f+ 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.

7 x2 L$ H* p/ m8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
, V0 u7 U3 Q: X  G9 [* x
% z0 G# m& Z' I8 {' [It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

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。”
1 h; B0 Y, V1 t  c
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.”
  q- d3 M4 r0 g
! T( h: ~& |0 `9 d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”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

" r5 d3 T! C/ s7 h; D9 C7 b1 l. m11. 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.

' w3 @" X1 {7 e) m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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
- H/ x* B8 l) {
* G+ {: r  b/ V/ M/ G; 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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

/ l# M8 k& ~6 h7 V% D- @& gWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

4 f9 E# h$ d( l+ `扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

1 a, E0 ^; E; Y+ A( wA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

6 W9 k( @2 \+ L8 TA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
( y3 t; w; J# g
' H( m- D5 ?9 i1 g( F16. “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。
$ l; P3 B1 w! |! T% E4 w3 r
, q( P+ \4 \! \( y* n# w% lTalk 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.

6 |; H# M5 G& @5 L% l4 I  A5 y. N借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
/ J: M. X; T" P$ N  f3 f
' X" u* x2 X7 C. O6 n煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
. {) L* y0 n5 h) V7 ~
: K/ t: P& {; }/ s% r17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
* m. [3 _, U4 a5 C
3 j# f2 M6 F+ V% VI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
+ z: t) P: V: V
9 a  j* D1 F, D) G8 T- ?哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
& P$ W8 V3 V) H4 G+ L- m5 A7 s# D
# i% @+ U; e) p+ y9 b18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
9 ]1 n4 |7 I* @  s( |
19. 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.

. R  ]* B& R. g4 x7 d( h4 PThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
* _$ y: x" v1 p% g' m# H: P
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。

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

+ t8 \) c. _+ X; D上周日中午你去大统华了吗