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。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
; c, X: n! p; R6 S2 P
# ?5 G, d% \! rShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
' I5 O8 _6 m  Z; X
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
9 q& Y+ c. O# c. r1 ?
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

6 q( I/ E4 p/ }0 |+ A! K动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
  q( B) v& E/ p
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

" n* I* L; ?+ N, a( ?5 g  w2. 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.

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

& e- @4 z+ {7 F3. 十年树木，百年树人。
4 W+ w- U% w  h
# Q. L1 c. A, p2 sIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

& @) n8 v! x- Q' f& h) z4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
6 }7 J9 X  q! d9 l/ S
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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。

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

+ K& Q& B* Z. @' R! q: l- D, mThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

( \% P7 h5 v' h8 i7 IIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

6 B. G/ [3 N. o1 I0 ]2 l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.
) D/ e# Q7 [" }: ]5 t
% W/ m$ y7 f9 Q5 F1 N" V, O' J, K6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
0 a, L7 N3 Q# G! o! @
% r" h5 W1 ^$ `# v$ c+ xHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
6 R6 D$ `7 D3 @; K) D+ e
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
6 A* l$ H' c7 l# V) X% B: H
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

; S# a' _8 K0 ?2 l; @+ O2 ?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' b% I$ f6 L, x! y5 z/ [2 P
- R: W: W7 o& S+ k' b5 B8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
5 Q/ s4 Q3 r, M8 Y9 ]
* ?  T! H; p" E5 FIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
- |  D( T1 Z; L8 X6 s0 C- V
( N$ N, y9 u4 X9 N9 D% {: M- R. X; W名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
. ^, {5 b* p8 F" y; q0 }: w# I
  H2 m$ o% h1 T: o) m4 Vdeserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
- i5 U* o# ^; e0 F5 `7 d
, K0 m  @# K9 I8 A% j$ m9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
7 r# l' R/ I  v' ?) e1 P
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.
) i/ Y, X7 g% x4 _8 p! e) k
. Z6 N: A- t! F1 F10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
* G  J1 v! O" O9 d% r
6 V8 {, A# M% Q) PHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
6 A. ^+ c( P8 q' x
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

0 g3 |3 }2 S# v4 `Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
) K; X, [* ~( v
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.
, e) x& _- M+ {) \( J4 D; d& c5 c
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
2 \) [5 _8 k9 S2 D
All good things must come to end.
# }9 y; l5 s+ d( |! x5 H
All feasts must come to an end.
9 @9 m0 T% l0 z
" ]3 ~  Y/ f+ e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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
- [, i6 J2 X- ?5 b  C* ^
0 p- x( C$ m* K8 u8 }4 AWith 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.
4 q# `1 C) P, ?8 W6 E$ l1 O7 U
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

4 J0 I4 ?& b, v* u8 |3 c7 iA 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.

* e* z2 T0 L" _15. 吃一堑，长一智。

% U7 L9 V, ~8 R7 v) R9 o. SA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

6 B. i+ x. S" J/ T" D+ c* D16. “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。
- E( K2 M- B5 ^& R0 a
$ ?4 _$ X0 O: O/ i( X. w6 QTalk 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.
1 T+ w9 c. C( a4 W8 D" R
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.

% D% {2 G! T- {* a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

$ T& x9 ^) M& v' h/ Y17. 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.
% j7 j. w' o8 t) Z5 r
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。
3 P- N% J$ u' O3 C
4 B$ x' k3 A" _He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
9 K+ l. j$ v! r3 `# U
7 L8 ?, U3 {: {胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

4 I$ [. L! r; \) c1 Z( V+ @- A19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

8 K- P. C/ \1 S: p4 w% bThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
1 u3 U7 C, o" f9 @( y# t! |& _
$ m3 F8 m0 d0 h7 l9 U' c3 S  RThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

. F2 s. d; V  r扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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。

# [7 T9 l/ |* P/ g% T: E$ pHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 g' M( J# `0 @8 M8 g# jbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗