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。

3 m! ]+ r" {0 O; gShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

3 z6 m4 O0 Y/ q9 I% gShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
1 s8 a! E- e7 Y
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
8 z' t7 V9 k/ @1 u
0 [( _( A: L( d/ _/ O动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

4 F3 T1 }/ x% }  M# G# p/ W# i0 `动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

5 f5 b5 y  {9 R他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! n3 j, M+ Q8 K1 p" E8 n) ^刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
0 b+ F" m* h% C. r1 ^0 X
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

! O5 G% i  C. ]7 z& S8 THe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
' Q( o% }4 t1 y0 a. g4 G# I. o' a
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
9 H+ c" b7 p( S) B; Z
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3. 十年树木，百年树人。

0 s8 {9 H+ `. X& E9 YIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

0 \7 a9 g. r0 {) h4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
1 c& B. F) o, b
$ w5 i* W' b" k9 JHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
" k; t, M4 X; L
2 q1 u- ]; [3 `, i' ^石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
  U! v7 v& ^6 c) m
6 Z+ V0 ]2 p+ {2 rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

; @5 D( ^# k5 j" r6 u: AThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
+ [4 b" h/ ?! r2 E( N( s! L
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
0 t0 Q# E/ |* G* F( K
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.
3 J" {6 w+ A5 q6 v' z5 C
6. 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.

7 Y6 v: q- b3 \+ d7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
2 d$ z8 f4 y8 J$ ~' X
# g. N, j7 y: \' j+ K3 rThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
+ F) ]& ^" o7 z' k3 K$ K7 A( C
& k( P! H# S5 i& L9 m5 }- r5 H张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
  f# H+ x1 b/ }' R' v# b8 K0 C
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
, I  R7 |5 j0 k: H
& ~, y) ?1 i- e' A5 T8 tIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
3 L0 v& W/ m0 G, A" B8 e3 n
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
+ d) w: ]9 ^- N' u) o; A. N$ i
: Z  m2 c& u, T1 Odeserve 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。”
* G: a" \) S0 b4 i# i& l
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.”

( R3 k/ i. w5 y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

: i$ y- ]0 k$ G- R! h3 |10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
! h% Y- P' m; L- ]0 c
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
0 P9 Z4 p- z8 T) t! t3 [  d
) n8 e  y  L  Q7 b! ^" Q; o8 G" P画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

4 Y7 s* n) F+ e* k0 dTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

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.
; {' \" H2 U. _% F0 D. u8 t
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
; Y9 y& q9 u6 S) X4 W) H: p  ^
All good things must come to end.
  K( K% k" c3 d! j$ `( H) s
All 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.
% L1 J: l7 L. z+ d* `
' Y" c; f6 l  d" |13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
6 H, C- M5 G- m
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

+ M' W7 J  e  m" t# c扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
$ x& G, d5 K& d4 {
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.
. K- K3 x6 b) d6 ~4 k0 m- }
15. 吃一堑，长一智。

6 h7 O5 B8 e. u) {5 V9 E* O2 MA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

3 n) ^& ^( S# \% L& d; o' P16. “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.
0 \# L6 m8 @( ?2 _  |% j
; [5 f$ ~, D8 `7 x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.

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。

" L5 A) R# w: e* w7 l4 XI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

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.
% u* B2 e7 P. \8 x3 d
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。
6 N) q9 E& _- U5 n# V$ t  K3 J9 T3 H
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
8 l6 w7 h8 S9 R- e/ U
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

9 r6 e9 g! f0 j+ w4 _9 i扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
, B/ [! i6 U" n/ E
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!
" e3 [7 Y" f+ \billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗