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。

/ C: x& M& a4 }She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
4 X% O6 s# @3 |
1 ~9 u! s" w" ?" ?' {; wShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

- R% x; E. U% F, c' T, _- }% B动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
3 m+ V; {* |8 f+ j1 C
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
% ~9 S( O' _  t, z
7 U: U) b  w3 D' ~# Y5 m动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
: B' l1 q8 Z/ ]. b) ?
/ h7 @5 q! \3 S0 W; E- w0 `他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
( \" K% x$ ]6 {* P
% z- `# g4 I: ~! U) n  ]0 Q# M2 D刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

! Z2 f/ `3 D6 O, F6 F! T9 b' E! D/ u2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
4 {% x# j6 u+ b/ o: N! R1 O1 f7 s
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

4 G. E# Y1 F) E+ D1 O. e不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

, q0 ~2 S7 D- Zrefuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

& ~% o( x7 d3 X& d  RIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
# G" J7 j+ B) q& _
) \% b+ o+ L' V( i) @4. 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.

, b+ s5 L7 F$ ]5 L& B" d5 k" y石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
6 e4 L6 x8 j1 ^+ s. I& o
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
; f, b! {+ l  A
' A' u8 G. \- d5 j: \+ r! w: UThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
4 B0 I, H, U$ c: ?1 H5 O
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.
! V% W. |3 O8 i/ @- W
8 ]3 Z# ?8 k) }4 S0 o% L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.

6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
+ v$ h7 O2 w  m! y5 ]
# p" J6 ~9 l# W) f# E1 fHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
! }2 m9 N* c  ^8 M" u
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
6 Z6 y& z0 u( L  P* r
6 u; j4 F7 ?% k+ K. p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。
6 Q! J6 b0 u( H6 c
  S- J( W7 r# h& LIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
; ]- m+ l+ H, i& S1 R$ N3 u
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
8 K" }+ I0 Z- L% w, O, r, l0 f
deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
1 V6 a4 \1 Y8 ?' p# m/ c& p
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

  Q3 \3 ~  t6 zMy 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.”
; |2 p; U8 {% d" Y9 t2 g9 }
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

% W( P, X) Y$ B+ u10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
! h$ j. m  q# k
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

; E7 F( q" d; V: S3 k画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
, ]' e1 j) z- m0 i# S" o
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
3 ?4 |6 c! ]7 `+ j( d, c
' w+ N) h$ [) A( Z. |- q+ g0 V1 ]Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

5 d# o; R3 B7 @7 C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.
2 s: U1 Z5 G  D% M% {: A( s! U- f5 f
6 W$ a! C  K2 N# y" ~5 W. z1 b12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
( r7 r- p$ j: S" m
0 @- B/ q4 s7 Y7 G1 t9 {All good things must come to end.
2 r; s3 \! f9 |* q9 _
/ l  f* E' T( N& e2 |9 |( zAll feasts must come to an end.

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。

With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

+ T' ^+ w: U( T* z" D, G扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
9 J  B- O' l! T+ Q
14. 江山易改，本性难移。
' H- g" Y! V. x& x
8 G6 l! |2 b! s: r2 i0 ~A leopard can’t change its spots.
( M( R: p& ~) X# `9 |7 h! f6 Q
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

9 X& |! ~# u- V- ^% y: z4 ?0 ~- O15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ u. d/ y5 x2 \* P4 l6 KA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
1 \! Z2 A! l9 w5 i! W; y5 Y
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。
1 q  i% R+ u$ U( ^. X5 t$ @% F
# B/ X6 p! n9 _% JTalk 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.
! B/ q5 y$ H: p$ ?- T4 b- L
4 O" c# @: b, X2 ], |- t" 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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
  Y% ^5 G' N+ R1 v$ t2 \
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
( k4 _$ w9 z! J: a2 K
17. 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.
& a9 {# M8 q& X  M" ~* ]
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。
7 Y3 Z( y! O3 g
2 m8 k# q# M2 h$ s; h6 wHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
- P) o" a: U( k
: U; Z$ P0 N7 X+ X' J* M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。
& i" _2 f% o; j+ p! W4 _. x$ Z
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
& `" y0 }" {8 X2 `
& P/ q! X/ u. ?! m$ q! `& M, Y5 MThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

$ k& O, i/ m1 w" T- f& f扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
+ k& c) x. _& G) R
( g6 [( w0 z, n, S8 T( n20. 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

上周日中午你去大统华了吗