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。

; k' I5 a$ x# \: VShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
/ S  q( U/ ?% u  v. r
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
7 N- M0 M; a% Q- f3 W; c  d
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
7 P7 z5 D% \: o0 z5 e# \
8 K4 l! w) O  ]动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

( Z7 i, j$ i7 J* n; j' j" S) F) `& W动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
& K! s9 o; n9 n* T/ [
# C0 p; H, B# H" {7 y5 j# k1 m& D" {他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
* i8 K6 |+ x# w3 B* q9 r7 y3 i' w
: N4 i4 X' b" X! ~) M8 c刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

+ R/ m9 m" W6 ]$ F& x% l2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

0 ?/ \: V; M/ O! k4 \# |He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
, n$ e5 F* i' K& U( L( {) e9 l, f
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
! t2 E7 B4 j& n2 w
+ ]7 O8 n4 o" O8 p' A, l3 d7 h# Vrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
7 H; y9 x3 i. C$ G( D- @
2 f& X$ L: }% o3 r' D# o3. 十年树木，百年树人。
! Q5 R( u, j1 h& |+ c7 j
& l( O" C  z# E" z5 @It 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。

8 l% A1 b2 D8 ^( _He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
6 u& ]  v7 }2 b( w' h  |
/ N1 A( T6 A) R( W! w+ e0 [1 N石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
/ s) }6 {6 t( O" C
  z) D# F7 F* ?2 f5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
8 h' L6 ]6 l) `+ ~' Y4 C+ d8 T5 g
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.
/ d; j; P) \  d4 D& @$ {/ u: X, t
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

; z% R2 n$ O& h( D9 F$ T! w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.

$ R9 o2 D1 Q! O7 J7 e! p6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
! n: ]: e& Q( a
( o- g. U' H0 EHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 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.
1 h4 Q+ y% C+ m. K# v0 ?
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
) h. o+ Y( @/ O/ @
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
4 ]; i- J7 Z3 H3 a% S( A8 @
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

( ~; A5 T  K" ]2 B* H: }2 f; |! H* Olive 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。”
  F+ P- H; x& E& 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.”
: s# ^! K8 |+ D) N3 m4 ^
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
! F: E+ ]+ }1 i' o% h- z- F) `( X
! R8 ~& M0 r! X5 t5 a1 C3 \5 EHe 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.

' F9 g2 A8 l. B: s9 ~1 n  {# N. _11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

% x1 ], w* Q# STom 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.
7 G6 W: R$ q: ^, o; r
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

0 S9 [  r9 ^2 a6 l6 A* z5 \All feasts must come to an end.

  W' T& I; K* l7 N0 F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.
* v" k- `( W1 }
) |9 M# G7 C0 E% L) P. W13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
( f  K9 l9 M1 A
& d4 h: M/ W1 m7 yWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
- N5 R' s! i4 u. i) ]  F' X
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
  [; G; h/ g1 t* {* g" l3 r' n
2 i: k- @5 x& I1 [- r0 R7 m: p14. 江山易改，本性难移。
2 v. Y9 |3 P/ j$ M4 V! l; M6 _/ F4 \
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.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
: ]* z! ^4 G- k
* O3 ]' s( g. O! t1 ^A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

8 z' g; u0 E* B; q' k: n16. “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- `# `0 L- Z; z5 ^& P, f
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.

7 C4 T$ S! T8 g; z+ [, K4 g1 w- i$ _8 U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.
! r/ X. v1 B( y
' A5 o8 S* }5 p; o. ?8 d借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
8 o  r" e' N+ C; Q. h  _
% o; E9 p- T, O3 c% h. Z& o5 Z- H/ V煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
3 d  S5 J( H0 {2 `9 o3 Y; l, n
- a) I2 v4 @* i3 I% P2 }17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
" i, I5 g* J% D; K) [! l% _
% j0 P: p. e. V" n+ z" lI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
; D0 ^6 P; _: s$ `. h2 q5 Q+ C4 h/ I8 c
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。

, `# z' R$ u5 i+ g$ V. f" x: i4 oHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
+ l5 s1 C* b( M, t% i. s' h
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
$ G% B3 m: f' L2 ~3 \% F, b5 s, u
1 h/ p$ K% h; i4 v- a# a19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

& K: ~: h- f' W$ t0 eThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
" \: k- F; O; ~
9 S, N7 e3 O. N1 H* U0 x  q! sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
$ ?& T" x4 `3 ?
0 |) J+ [+ ?: a" C4 [3 |0 o7 `4 ]9 ~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。

He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
6 z- _, {+ O; @1 a4 [billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗