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。
7 Q7 M8 P4 t* ~8 o7 v" d' H2 v
7 y$ ?8 y, r8 Z' Z5 wShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

) o, E' R" H! y! YShe 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

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
% r2 n5 r1 p$ I3 K  }  \3 }
  p, @6 B/ |- |3 ]3 m$ u$ a他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
4 s4 f6 C# i: |* N8 q! w
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
% A# r$ B5 M0 p* n) e
. U+ D: e3 K/ W: a2. 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.

( w: N6 e3 U% u& W2 m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. 十年树木，百年树人。
3 n( P( i. V2 y0 T& O$ [. t
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

1 i1 i7 D: }5 |$ o5 l4 M7 |1 F' e" O4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
  e' d8 w5 n  q% ]( C. l  }
7 b) Z& Y' j9 h+ L; i$ i9 d6 q石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
. ~: d4 y, E1 V) u' q
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
8 D% m6 S7 B; h9 P; l. \7 ~& L7 w
$ `! k5 H7 E* O: {8 F# \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.
8 P+ r- L/ A/ V. N( C2 p; }# X
& Y+ O& I6 t% `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.
* u# e6 |" z0 ~" J5 M
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

2 J& ]; W* c! x! b0 ^+ mHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

1 L+ Q# v# ]& U4 s: q3 B1 K7 O1 P7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
: `" R. z9 k- _
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
. b% ~5 B% v  c+ R0 o
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

; _9 K7 L2 c6 H% }# k* o! K3 e5 |名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
1 Q3 q# f& {9 V: V7 C8 p! `
, b1 ]& p& H& L8 s0 k! ideserve the reputation one enjoys;
6 z* O& S1 H) R( {; u) v; R) }$ |; g
live up to one’s reputation
- N( |) W7 y7 W9 N9 }
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

+ X/ K" f1 J  k  n  ~1 sMy 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.
& W( D% h, O" k7 f" @! N
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
: @. [* F9 n! L9 f3 r8 n9 {9 `5 P
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.

3 I  Q  g# L( g& \1 @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.
* z* L, P! ^8 T1 u1 w' q) P
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。

6 x/ y' @8 v4 ^% O, G1 u' IAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

, b3 ~4 e" Z: i8 Q: B  K) o. G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.
2 x& ~$ u0 w0 e# [! m
" i; ]1 W( f( I0 u, Y: H13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
& q) u: m9 U- U7 Z- F# T- M9 S& @
; G% |. m3 d' R6 WWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

2 R3 l2 V& @% B( v- ~$ o扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

& w! {9 ^! S+ `% a5 D14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
( k2 z% M0 e* S( k
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
2 ?9 K  P4 G. Q6 H# V& Y9 Y$ L; |/ R: z
0 e& H) H; l/ A( E' y" m9 p15. 吃一堑，长一智。
. T0 F3 l: Y& s- \) L% f- u
2 T  G) R$ m. N; q) DA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

& K' {( g% T5 L1 ]! m: m16. “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。

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.
& G8 a/ P& W9 O# h2 D
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.

" d5 ]4 A9 t6 J1 O" S: E借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

% V$ T$ Q3 e  ?( [) A* _$ }1 W煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

7 Y1 v# ?- A& S  D17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
8 e9 N9 D8 A. W4 J) U
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

  N5 w+ g' J. J% t9 _) t& w哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
& N9 I; e5 b* Y: L( x$ y
. K( z! x$ J1 m18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
; E+ u  ]8 m/ S! G
0 B" q' r; y- b3 }4 x# ?7 U8 fHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

0 s% X- Q1 y  C0 Y8 G1 t4 v19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
5 N% d" d! Z8 ?7 {6 X0 ^3 B
: ~! \' `2 a4 j; P; sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

  y! U1 O, u+ C$ K: q. }* c; XThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
  p! ?& J# o1 x: c9 l
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。
7 J% j% V  s3 D/ C/ L: j
& l/ b  t$ c6 i2 z" f' PHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 q4 I! o" I5 J/ \0 V: q  y, Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

5 q  d& _) D& w- s9 K/ a上周日中午你去大统华了吗