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。

4 g' _. T: v/ y( R# B  T2 G( sShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
  I* A8 `5 b( Y4 M1 c
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
) m8 T. z: F3 K' F3 Q+ E% d
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
* |  p. J1 z; F: S  I' c
& m  m* H7 m" q) }9 S# A动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 [( x9 n8 s( d) W; C9 I( S动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

% I2 F9 x7 C6 X他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
0 s$ V$ L, }6 ~% X. X, }
- @9 e: ]$ O+ o5 }4 B) |, @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.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
6 X% N; k% f3 e6 [
$ Z8 J: ?( B6 x$ i2 ~refuse to give up until all hope is gone
5 V' H- I* O+ O, x! m4 J% K
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
* \4 k2 @& L) t6 o
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
  T% H8 ^5 m$ r5 B
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

6 {! _, L; d* x( Z4 T5 v( x石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

2 g' f, c4 u9 b8 f7 Y5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
# i$ L& d' m! u1 ^2 r% Z7 E
, P  X2 G! P  T. CThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
7 e2 K2 @* A1 W: a9 z9 {$ j1 c8 G
. f( O  U7 G, t+ _/ `7 nThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

8 W# R* K1 B: u- C& [+ S, tIf 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.
% X! u- L6 U% `( s/ b
: D# Q/ g  l  U  {$ B; R+ ~6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
1 I& o# J% h1 X& L
! e  z" V: j5 e1 A1 aHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
" s/ {4 k" s' g3 j
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

, J( L8 K' y) d6 ?/ S! R1 LThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
1 M. r0 j: S2 B
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
* ^2 n& Y6 u, G
% r* i( D! T& n. ?% p9 a, {8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
$ M2 b, I" }4 K5 F8 X+ u7 v% ~9 C' B
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
6 r( f3 u1 n; L0 ~/ ]; ?" L
) M9 n  x3 N& ~& k$ t5 X( ^deserve the reputation one enjoys;

1 M( x- T4 g: A& n9 b4 Y. |. Llive up to one’s reputation
8 k- y4 @$ e! `8 O- F# M* ^4 x
  F+ L0 i5 @' ~& B, m' h9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
3 b% |. _, d  q5 g' g
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.”
0 Y8 g2 J' _7 J' ~  z
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
  x6 \# g1 k, F1 A
2 ^- P/ x! O7 H9 h1 T10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

9 i* G1 R9 ]$ V& sHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

/ i& L4 {1 q) J- K3 a) ^" x  m/ p画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
8 z% o% s. f4 L% C
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
) o, n" o- \5 D4 C
) M0 H* D# j4 X8 QTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
; c- L2 V9 L0 T. u; W6 N7 w6 ?: {9 t
0 q; L0 }( b2 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.

; t$ y) K6 \8 S: ?) G# ]) G0 ~12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
3 M5 I! n" A% y1 G8 r- @
- s0 z% b/ a% k9 R( eAll good things must come to end.
6 g+ ~4 |5 x, j; |. A
2 f+ a* G5 `+ j$ `4 R9 a- SAll feasts must come to an end.
4 [7 o. W- H0 O- h7 L2 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.
+ C  g; D9 r2 R( }: y
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
4 s4 M# E: R1 h- L+ B
6 ^/ _- V* r' ]$ x9 [With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

: S4 G: L- w* A9 G: C扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

  h: C% p7 \( @0 x2 S7 a+ A14. 江山易改，本性难移。
0 }; Z8 N, X$ Y# y  }( A( I& M. n
A leopard can’t change its spots.
" c3 j9 Z2 _$ C) v% n5 D1 m1 X7 ^
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
' z( B* n& b1 `) r& @, U
  ~. D& _, W7 K15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

" |6 A7 f0 Z6 s* a, h16. “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。
! s8 y" B# o, C" d- f5 X) B
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.

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.
5 N, q; ^  V1 B/ x: n+ T$ t
; {$ ^+ x! O# A( C3 K2 p3 e, m借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

5 t2 a. g, z, W; O0 o1 |17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
1 x  z2 L5 g5 D
- j2 a. {5 r! LI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
3 O  j. n' I. Y# f
8 n! r# ~% G: r  P: g哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
: K" v. y8 c& H; A
( y  Y2 b1 j/ [胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

/ G2 s, m( k- h# `19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

6 N% i- {) X$ l6 Y- J& y5 _0 ~- F) U3 dThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
" S# L5 z/ b. P% y6 b% `# ?
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
4 Y4 ]% J6 s7 n+ K: J
0 {# P5 k; w! ?1 h: \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。
' F) P0 }" {& ^# I8 @, m
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
9 x8 f* \4 d* f- F7 [6 v) D5 k: wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗