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。
# L9 J5 r  f% G, S8 d5 o  p
. J0 C3 z. E9 WShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

' v3 w- e$ U- @$ P  cShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

7 `5 N6 [. }& ?  _" t动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
8 K6 |! [3 k9 A+ O) ?7 t( t$ `
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
) T: u* D/ V% W5 u
* y5 q4 o% W  J  P& y动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
5 ?/ R/ g0 B6 Y# e7 }3 C7 [
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
; L6 O4 r; N4 _) G$ h
: X9 _8 M3 I& Y# w9 w% s刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
( Y' M* ^6 F( a6 k; C
9 c& x  z4 H" s. p0 {9 `$ R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
  I- f2 h6 u* P. s. Z9 q9 y
- ~6 L7 b. r( a9 i1 i2 p  YHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
- A0 a* a* B2 V. v' o. Q6 X
1 ]# `, S) _+ ]0 n- f1 B( a) m不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
% e# c+ `7 s, E4 j- [" H0 N; k% I0 t( V
refuse to give up until all hope is gone
  e7 d4 [; r) \+ f1 Y' |, j
$ G0 V: T9 Z0 j3. 十年树木，百年树人。

. v- Y* G8 ]! ^; sIt 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。
4 Q1 }! `8 S& ~" N7 i3 q0 J
! _# N$ ^1 t- {, g& T* GHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
9 Y3 p$ B% h* q/ k& c5 C. u3 L
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

( q( E. {. F$ q5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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

The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
7 z1 I  [# g* k& M, o
1 `; K4 I& n7 V5 F8 N# g3 `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.
- s' r- }' \& q1 i0 O
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

+ W( R+ D9 R0 |" C& N1 |He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
0 T$ j* r) N4 v
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

$ v$ D0 D* j( R, n! gThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
* n3 h, }5 q2 D
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 x& t9 t, |6 \  m1 a1 f7 w+ U/ M: p8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
% s! r8 f6 s. d  T" j/ v
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
5 o* B) T' n4 ?- X5 u$ I* D) {; _
/ m* |1 H5 n( h/ y. r8 m$ W) _# m名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation

9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
+ o7 J% ?; R  b" X
" k* Q) x, H$ ?% `& ~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.
' `0 I1 V; M9 S5 e
1 b9 Q. r7 O9 o" k. X10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
% F# i6 n# a1 w
% b% n9 s  ]; t: j' L1 uHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
$ w! Z4 L" ^8 ?0 V* z7 o2 a$ S+ M
6 o. l' }8 G* s画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
% B: I8 a7 f7 \0 T6 _3 m
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

  Y0 g6 q9 |/ G; g) E* vTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
! I- S, S% a( M' F% ^
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。
7 i% m; C2 t! u: _
- i! j: n6 f8 y& i( G2 ]All good things must come to end.

9 J# ?- d8 ?2 E+ O1 w- ?All feasts must come to an end.

1 L! k- ~& x! B8 T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.

% _5 \* n* K4 ~3 s+ N13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

' @) @+ c/ H6 r2 m/ G- @$ S( f4 _$ MWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
) C: k4 r1 [+ j8 l" ?( t
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
. Z! J) p+ y  Y# f- }
1 w" x( S! a8 X% Q: x% U14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A 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.
4 ]! M" h' v$ d9 ^) h
15. 吃一堑，长一智。

0 M1 V) u( d+ D1 y/ V9 f8 FA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
8 @$ Y: b* N; {, M* _- M
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。
5 e  W; n" [, C) V6 v4 p
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.

$ k( g" J+ r2 `$ e* `, _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.

& ]5 K# U) p  N借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
7 d  G) v9 ^! _
0 f0 v' N5 _" T3 z2 z煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
/ v5 \  V' K6 g% Y7 ~3 B6 j
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
% @; J) z# s! Z, D1 b! C8 ^
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
# n: {  q+ C( }) ~& V! W
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
: Y" F1 g. i) p, w  C
. A: \# n$ v+ c5 OHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
: R# K" |: ^2 N4 K- j0 \) R0 x
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
, U* d9 X3 m5 I# a
* r# q- @# |! g$ T5 p! w  B. O- xThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
5 q8 s0 E! N% d, S% m
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
; v% Y0 Z$ h+ C$ A3 k7 D0 {* B# J/ u
" h# w4 M" w8 W扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

1 z) I! S3 b  U0 E20. 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。
  M: {: o. Y6 W/ N6 a/ g
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
: s2 n. a" X. T% [billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

( |4 Q! L! R2 N; b! d上周日中午你去大统华了吗