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.
- y! s& R8 c  a, ~
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 r7 e; r1 @9 ~1 k动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
& y" J7 s/ E3 k5 s
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
( y8 @" j! a$ D9 V$ V" x
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
# h! W) C8 p8 Z, a* Q; ^
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
& J$ K% v) [) e9 P/ |& l
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
) l& J& j2 H) G* l5 m8 h
0 x$ K; g/ w3 B6 H% x* H& T6 G6 V# M2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
5 I  e  Y# ]9 I! L# o3 n+ K
2 b" R5 N" ~; F5 K; u& @  SHe 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;
5 S  F2 X) V" o
; x4 y, Q7 q" k$ I* i  }refuse to give up until all hope is gone
/ A& O1 {3 C$ P1 I4 K* a
1 e! q- i7 I8 V* r1 F  O5 A* |* u3. 十年树木，百年树人。
- q0 m2 `# Q/ |, B- l/ {+ r
! B. e9 m$ T- C# vIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
- w4 K" a2 W3 ^! ?, d
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

! G# V" [' O2 B, mHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
0 }# h9 _% }; ?! i5 q$ b
) v+ I+ f* w6 _6 R0 s& Q石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
$ z- e. s( f/ S! G6 |
$ {/ W& T$ \+ [, i1 |5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
( s5 k. j' M$ D! m2 p2 H& v7 n
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
8 k# w* r- _, u' b- U
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

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.

: F4 P9 J' M$ B8 F% f6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
; e/ ?. t, t' S; r; m- `- b# W; v
. k$ A. S; S% s$ ~0 @7 g7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

, {6 ^* Z3 a+ a- h9 e& x$ v+ e- MThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

- ~% m& o$ @% q6 X+ q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。

  b; M/ J" z' ~' e# }It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

" k& A$ p2 x9 T( T名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
  t( [0 b4 Z& ]0 B  z( t- X( P
live up to one’s reputation
+ @# s) b* q. n7 l, D! b
+ V8 _. y/ i, K4 z- J& B* C9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

0 C& r7 k9 ~& k$ g' r/ |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.”

' H+ r, a% b% M3 Y2 u( v( c" Z天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
1 v8 ?9 Z" G; d& z. L% e
7 y' u$ n2 p7 W; e# X10. 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’.”
. E+ g" Y4 y# N1 a3 |+ u+ o: I
' p9 ]5 t- U1 b画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
. L- E$ @7 ?/ I. ?# h
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.
7 f0 M+ `6 V% Q
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。
) R) e# i( `0 J9 I- e1 ?
0 i# m/ U+ X; {$ IAll good things must come to end.
) M+ R; L' j9 c* \  y3 h5 k* V
All feasts must come to an end.
" g1 R2 ~; y: R: ^* q2 P* U$ T/ 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.
. ?! o) N! X  U1 t" y$ L
% k4 }9 v2 [; p. h7 w; \$ w- e, ~7 Y13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
9 b' f' C) m" K9 N% Q5 B, ^. O6 [6 \
+ _+ {/ U: e1 ]* Q7 S8 }+ WWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
2 M# L5 C% Q8 y% K. o6 h. F. k
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
- |1 l0 V; M  V# c2 f
14. 江山易改，本性难移。
3 C  Q: ]4 q7 R
3 s& l5 N. H  e0 d$ mA leopard can’t change its spots.
- c0 W6 a# u+ L' ]
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

4 O" u% W2 t& C7 `+ Q15. 吃一堑，长一智。
/ F  I' a8 g& r* N1 {
A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
2 h, w* N* G; W$ B
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。
3 a3 b7 z& u$ z1 R
+ P2 X: O# u! \2 ^) ]/ yTalk 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.

4 R" U3 s: D3 u( Z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.
9 N  {' g  V% t2 L# e
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
& {- `/ ]$ ?1 J3 {7 M; P9 T' q% h  w
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
3 K7 Y2 Q$ ]5 w2 I( f/ C
: E! k  ]! c, V6 X. T& M' L4 o; FI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

7 \1 i( F8 \4 u  l/ L* q8 v" U哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
1 m* m; Q* X9 z9 o0 P$ f8 m
4 _0 A; y: m0 S5 T! y/ B' X6 g18. 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

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

$ d8 s" Y# ^5 K: aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
- n, K  F0 h3 E
/ \+ p9 p: }6 f1 d- iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
0 T4 a# M$ }5 U
) t, `8 `9 r) P) F3 V扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

. E+ Z' v" q5 }1 e) R20. 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。
  s  r1 J5 L* w% a. T# o
1 S8 @7 i1 ?0 I9 G; BHe 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

6 X4 d! m$ n/ r; V7 x上周日中午你去大统华了吗