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。
1 N3 v0 @0 B! l7 {: n, o
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
0 L% e8 C- B( ^1 f+ h0 S
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

# x" z. P; T( d1 b动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
1 {( e2 O2 C8 X: E# r) s7 k
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
% n" D* ~0 o7 X2 X/ K
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

2 J& T" u6 h& t3 B) J6 h" G他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
/ F; S2 H# F7 b
8 t: D& K0 w6 I刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

) u& L- y- i, ]& d; m% U* aHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* ]. e8 |" O1 O5 o不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
: `& Z- w! U/ m8 z8 F( h3 a# M$ ]+ B
4 R9 p8 w7 y! k  p% Hrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
# m' D" z$ \. J. U1 u6 @
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

9 I& l2 B+ G4 J2 w: v& l! H! O3 f8 ZIt 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。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
6 x. n! b( Y, C! ]6 e% C2 p( N
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
; C( G5 v4 g! S% f! y8 J. u
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
( _4 c" r0 d+ `
2 q+ w7 I/ p4 kThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
! u4 D( _) g" t1 ]. i: ]
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

( U) y  p# o7 ]If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
3 B- `* c9 d$ p% z
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.
7 B9 ~$ n9 b, j! z2 |6 y0 G
. B4 ]: k; r% U3 U4 z; g7 G6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
4 V- `& f7 z# l  l- E7 G6 D: `+ q
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

& b' \' Y- @6 v0 O# x3 U7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
3 D9 g. O' Q' v- Y; z4 r% v
# J) u$ l. d) I/ O( U: c. U张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

9 l- h8 |. u# G3 c" D  d8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
  O7 j" {9 G2 m3 E) ?' H% O
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
* l8 {" [" y8 {" H
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: _' p! x) Y5 t; X7 c6 M' ~deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
6 W; r) ?/ k6 N& m
+ A# W1 x: R3 P5 R6 v' `  x9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
" l. ~2 G5 {2 y, l) T; W: g
% z) _- H) t5 k& ?8 e# PMy 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.”

1 x. `" n& |. B5 R  c! Q9 U9 n天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
, Z! Z" ^& C- \# P5 e
" b# U1 I6 q! x10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
4 U6 ^/ h. k( \
7 ]1 ~  W6 w; o# t. ?He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
3 j2 m- E5 e2 ~! h# N& ~$ E
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。

3 V# |3 Y; j+ W9 N, V% }+ S) `Tom 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.
6 o7 c- l$ y) T+ d( i0 m
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

8 a# ~( t  H+ Q; T0 e: q1 kAll 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.
$ B; U3 i" \/ \3 ?' B3 N
2 W1 O" k, l$ Y13. 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.
9 A4 Y8 ]! C# e' l4 B7 X
6 s) @- z; c; E3 @, ~4 o3 E& u扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

& y& O, {2 l% ^: I14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
2 {: c! x% s. h0 G) @7 T
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
3 \% h" _) b) D
4 X1 P% O3 t# B6 e' O7 s* [1 z7 `: z15. 吃一堑，长一智。

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

3 K# \" @8 q+ Y: z8 s7 ]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。
; n# C( c# R- s: a( @* e% p% m
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.

: `) W' ^$ l7 R+ m" v1 s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.

4 a! A5 p5 R! F. v借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
% l" |: Z5 T6 [- m, {
% `. a* K6 S1 h4 f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。
3 `' m( n* _' l2 W6 d8 f
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
) b1 e# S% s% O: R6 F/ ~
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
& d! z, ]: P6 K* T" x
; [8 e' q; \; |- f0 N4 P18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& X0 z6 @' F: Z! q! q6 uHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
8 @9 r: \4 S6 h" k4 u
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

- Z) n  k- ~2 m' h  q4 u  _The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
5 ^) R3 A2 G. L! e0 ~8 i3 m. z
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
1 _+ d1 I. j) I1 g% A0 `
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

7 @) Q$ Z% a  P' j20. 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。
9 P0 w# P* |3 a" i/ z
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

/ G2 K! F" d* B& I' \上周日中午你去大统华了吗