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。

  D- q7 e- z6 O- s6 `% ?She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
# Y) r4 s  }: y% L6 J2 W/ W
) [' K6 V- ~! t! \2 {& q1 D  TShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

+ m" k3 ?9 y* w4 R动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
$ Y7 w' y# x! b0 t# s3 k( R
3 }7 D2 D3 J5 ~; Q# h5 A4 Y) b动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
+ n9 E% X7 P* O4 @$ }
' X" e) J1 @  @& \1 Y动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
/ _4 H8 j  U9 E7 N$ {
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

9 P0 o5 Q0 D9 a7 F* H刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
% D, ^+ S6 x2 T8 H% S1 p
4 o0 h" A( E7 v% r% ~# K# K; z2. 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.
9 l' D1 |1 s- d; l; G
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。

/ E: E. g6 |0 r( ^6 W6 YIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

, v" Q. E1 A  C  B: DHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
! H( H- Q" F* r. V. c$ }. b1 o1 B+ d
( Q3 r# l2 }" S3 c石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

9 m* Q, J2 t6 r7 B6 M: i5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
3 E# R' i+ T, p8 K' K: w
+ [9 Z7 m' W0 Y1 c2 b6 DThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
( P0 }3 F" \. n, V" l' W% C
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
4 b6 a8 J2 W4 U; r; 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.
* G8 ?# Y: ?- @$ |$ l
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.
" \. W7 |/ E! N+ ~- M' l# s
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
4 V& ?( K3 p9 j# W7 v5 b
) U2 H# x$ N  M  TThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
; @6 p* D- J3 J5 Z4 z) @
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。
: n% g: i& P) M7 Y" e4 O4 B. \. d9 F: x% B
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
8 Y5 L: Z  v. ?& ]
9 M  f2 _$ }2 J3 ^- {! qdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

# H1 |6 J0 E$ j/ ^& }( mlive up to one’s reputation

' F8 N: Y0 L; e* _% H* x9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

: R' ~, c* n+ p: v10. 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’.”
5 d  O0 ^6 \- d" ?4 C4 y3 {
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

) O" {& l/ F: m, @( B# {( n, X11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
$ Q: B1 t, Q0 z
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

) g  {! @# `$ X6 ?5 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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.
3 b" V  u' [1 y4 g: V( @0 f' L
All feasts must come to an end.

. g" W. s  J) A9 R5 f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.
1 H( v# L( i/ q1 P" X
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
" M! B: z' S! R+ R0 w" h* x: j
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
5 E1 ?6 A- F% J' d
, L: O* v9 t( L% a14. 江山易改，本性难移。

/ K4 q3 g) i- `, p* Z, PA 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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

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。
8 K% X, C1 `% J
( D1 g6 Z% x; L7 d2 f. 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.
$ T# m: N! |1 n+ I8 _
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.
5 m/ V! }0 E+ p$ }: M+ O
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
6 d0 |& F- L7 Q/ g3 G. v1 z* _, e, x
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
$ r8 y. `8 c9 @2 w9 d' V
( @: C: D2 z8 H7 k+ j5 K2 pI 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
8 A! W$ s# ?  }
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

6 {. ]. ?; B, C胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
5 C. _/ B. r) _5 ~
+ @4 P4 [# [% g* V19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

- [- ]1 h& o8 ~The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
' E- X2 x7 V5 t6 N: |9 y9 O
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
+ d/ K2 r0 z+ R2 J* Z0 c
) O; S1 L8 h- K9 {1 s20. 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。
0 ^0 u4 I5 P4 p' o, n& x* s4 ~
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