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。
! A6 G  |/ F- l$ n
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
1 l( e( A( t7 F0 {
) U8 L, O( [$ Z  w: e9 M8 \0 M! t8 mShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
* A, }/ ]3 ?# v: h3 x  q
4 O; w# g/ k1 G$ _) q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
0 `" E% c9 C! t6 }* X' \
9 ~7 ~7 Z6 q' `. l1 x动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
8 O9 s# s1 A- g" E, C& ?
3 F& ~+ x7 v9 n, Z4 u9 O% K动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

* z" `$ ^* D! o; ^) y6 G他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
$ {0 B4 C% Y' t4 m* W* F
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
) t, a2 ]9 n0 W* {; B& @. ^& t* L
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

6 h9 o5 B9 ~8 Z) jHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
+ ^5 k) q+ w: s9 ?& b) r: K5 z
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
' |9 Q" o2 F0 D( V. }
4 M6 E/ L# n. H. c. |% Drefuse to give up until all hope is gone
" {  f' }( t1 O5 F) A' O
) \8 X! a3 ]& Y9 {6 u8 N3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

$ L3 s* z5 Q$ B) l/ o! W" b4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

/ [& w/ A, e6 m' d4 nHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

8 y7 T( g( x3 T  H- G) v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。
. A' ~6 S- _9 s  Z) g
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

/ L! w# H5 f" {, mThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
9 u1 w& ]' N9 K" z
' U: G7 y; D6 [1 B% @# _/ mIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

3 Z, Q9 X9 a( J& p! n! G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( F; r% N1 t
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
* T4 v! t1 L& M+ _
6 `% A# b( |/ o  [6 u8 L$ e! j+ m: b1 a7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

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。
/ n6 k4 w/ |! I7 F6 Y. A
- z3 Q  H+ U! k, G. G4 y; a9 pIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
2 P- I; x$ g! l6 T
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

, H7 s7 k- I1 Wdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
, ~  \; {3 D/ c8 \8 F
live up to one’s reputation
+ j: ^% r6 k) a
0 |; X& M6 A+ M7 G+ B' q9. 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.”
/ {. J1 w7 {5 k% d8 l
( e2 g# s) B. _  ]0 y天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

! V5 U" ]! u+ L) }% |: C( I: r) K10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

4 E+ ?: e7 R$ v8 N* y% h# i* LHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
7 N/ e( D/ g2 e$ d# w: `
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
& s/ h! w! h" a! g8 T1 {
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
% l+ O6 v" A% G  F8 e
5 @: f- i& [& v" M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.

1 o+ n& |! Y4 Q12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

5 g2 M8 a* d5 F! O: @All good things must come to end.

3 n' l8 D6 S; G( W5 FAll feasts must come to an end.
7 M* h6 E; v' M; |
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.
2 r& X+ u8 G/ h0 B5 {4 y- f( w
, ~* E2 c/ U$ V+ ]13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
- D% p8 C$ e2 N" _8 P
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 W" B+ F$ _1 B* b7 J- C3 _14. 江山易改，本性难移。
8 [! V' c' w- r- ?
A leopard can’t change its spots.
) T$ G$ ?# I& U
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
- D3 d1 k& f! j8 Y1 q( P* c
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
+ C  v1 k, T, H/ }4 ~/ o$ X& V, A( e
A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
$ l- F7 Z& I1 {, c" K4 d7 T
& L9 _  A4 R/ y8 |( ]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。
3 F0 u& e8 Z" P. K2 f+ d
  r( Y* T2 u* }! l  `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.
. L: U' ?0 w( M8 S# Q7 S0 ^3 ^* t3 C; z
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.

& `9 [/ z+ a( c1 u, P& @3 e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。

I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
4 v! L0 ^* x- m4 [8 }+ P
  g9 d) h! }2 Y2 M7 [" V: u) D( a: k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。
; r) J/ u0 O6 c, d+ J0 ]7 ?; E
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
2 _, F/ _) p' }% k/ p
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
; a/ }5 E. O9 G. l. Z; b
. [* ^% A( H3 P* P, I% _19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
9 f7 W( H; K" t; |9 K: O
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

7 u; ~. }: T! K6 ]5 N/ W; K& F) rThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
$ [5 w- g1 F/ I. p* \% ^
0 Y3 g4 ?# }4 Q  E3 c/ U( X) V, Z扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
5 z/ Y8 z1 v) J7 g( ?6 t
% w/ [2 q; p* Q  y5 A0 ~: f8 p20. 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。
& K' J' {% B/ o
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
! [- v+ {( }5 F  Ebillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗