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。

) b; S  e& b+ k) ~She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
( A& [) l% }0 q: D9 l+ |( b2 g0 O7 x5 v
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

8 i+ b( g0 B& r动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

( j1 m! i: L0 U# V9 O动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
$ ^/ m) s' `: N9 I4 x; G
1 I* t+ A/ W2 ?2 O. r0 ~他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

! s) X; r2 f0 }3 E4 I7 s/ K刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
: K( i0 G" `- I
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 i* g7 o; e5 }# m+ {& `* b  DHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
9 Q! Q. E' m! S+ r! a
+ }7 c. B  l1 }不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
$ g$ K" q4 R+ z
# z5 }- h) p* L! q# vrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
4 h& ^9 [" u* L) C! u5 O) L
* k. u. ~/ l# b; a) x; G3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
0 ^$ o1 @0 P7 }
9 L; n/ A' j: t# B4. 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.

' m8 p% }- r. n  Y$ y9 H石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
9 E5 k4 R+ j, T; ]
( B2 X; a( ]% ?" u! N. G) d; P5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

2 C( R  C. r0 X! o4 q) FThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
% Q& n9 p. X* w, Z4 H/ ]. b1 D
: U; `+ r, a6 x' a0 S2 v' W8 LIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

: l8 a" T6 X; s  q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。
  s6 F1 s+ t6 A) T9 \! S% a
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
' w$ o8 n9 _& _4 y# p
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
* Z/ Y% A/ }7 Q/ d: y' `5 Y
6 H( R5 X, ~1 N6 ?/ h* ~1 K3 l$ IThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
# |* l0 ~' `& u% p
* q- |6 a2 H) c0 @! ?* A' S# 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.
$ u' R2 m, A1 A0 E
/ M  o5 z( b. [7 o) \! `6 X/ h8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

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

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
& c! @6 K1 u1 S: F; g0 J! b5 ]
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
3 Z$ t. F3 v! r5 O1 O, D
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.”

) j) c, x9 C* i天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

; h( F( u$ k7 U& h; |! k10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
8 o6 ?4 r9 u8 k- i7 Q3 H0 k% C
4 e) i: s8 _. O, P4 mHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
4 O% G; ~8 K& q6 K
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

% L" W( u2 B/ s) F9 p0 [) `11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
- C9 {: P0 D6 M- K2 m) x
& @' }3 B' ?/ ]- d. }/ cTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
( E" e6 d1 P- O1 O7 t' B9 N! K
: i8 M" c( P1 o2 X( [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.
; o" {- K% Y. m7 h0 u  Q
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

) A% A3 b  l6 F% kAll good things must come to end.
% |  |4 @8 i) J- ]+ I
- V$ V3 \; k1 @All feasts must come to an end.
( c* @: B! x( s3 {7 A& ?
9 `# Y' J4 d* a0 R/ L/ _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.
6 y) ^4 I. {% {7 v, u: N: H3 @, @3 W
" D/ R. @+ T5 L2 |" M13. 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.
- Z9 G: M6 X. u
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
; j$ w4 ^: i" k5 l* s- u
4 r8 |4 e8 ^+ d% G14. 江山易改，本性难移。
  J  H. C. \; Q
5 U1 V, t1 B8 a$ {- ?1 hA 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.
* I- Q2 H  g6 o$ U1 E4 J- }
15. 吃一堑，长一智。

+ ~4 G  w6 n6 r+ BA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
. M5 A7 ]' C. \, Z) ?- X; i
# W2 O- Y' O; v16. “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。

0 L  H! z% a& A1 h- TTalk 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.

$ I& }- e; R# q: G+ I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.
0 x  U* S! y( Q8 s( b
( i: v8 @3 p1 T9 v煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

# ~  w+ j$ Z* l! e$ n3 B! i# |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.

哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
" Q# e4 ]; ?- ~1 O, D
/ h5 n3 Q+ o  i  E( e) b0 k, e2 Q18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

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

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
7 B# x1 g/ f- i2 }# O9 d; a3 M, X
. O8 @! y' c! d0 _# ?8 @19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
+ A$ B& N% P! M8 U
4 S7 W+ g, Z* l0 t) mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
0 ]8 m+ I% D0 ]1 X* ~0 O- @1 e
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
, L) g1 x3 S- u0 H0 `
& a% t; f6 o4 X扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

! ^8 [1 Q) W& k. W20. 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 m0 x$ E3 R: d$ b: U
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
# N2 J! ]( ?1 o; M2 I# gbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

- ?; N) p& m' q* q6 j0 p2 i; B上周日中午你去大统华了吗