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。
$ g' ~% X3 o/ h" V3 V. ]3 H
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
; U& T! J  S" ~
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
% B! k) }# D/ V
3 e- y+ ^# M9 J0 k. V: g% q动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

1 h2 N4 k- Z7 `$ Q! y# i4 @6 k动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
/ B6 ?9 K/ W1 I
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
7 Z0 w, o* }# Z. y6 O5 P
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

$ ?7 c3 {; \7 y4 o3 m. ~" j1 C2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

! ^' h" b" a( ~8 L( WHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

5 O* T) [; s* r. |0 u' w不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

. y& i3 f5 i# V4 w' z* n' w3 H1 I9 }4 Arefuse to give up until all hope is gone
" D- s. b' |# Q
3. 十年树木，百年树人。
2 D1 x$ {! C4 t3 F
* v9 y) b( }, }& iIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

2 G" B8 q. |. v2 e. l+ Y: t4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
6 S3 s# {) z' T5 U0 K: t
, C0 K, [# q+ u2 Z# QHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

( C: G1 d3 H) Z$ f1 Y/ w: g石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
2 u6 \- d  p$ K6 O2 g5 v2 G
' r& t. V+ P, S( [& S. B' X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

  P& I( L: k: x' s; |# kThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
( f7 e" E$ c+ D4 |) \
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
2 {0 b! h; H- c  P
1 e$ a5 s1 J; x) ?* U" r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.
4 O8 |+ v& h4 \* Q0 X5 X; q" \
6 w, s9 G9 `* C, w6 i7 {6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

. n7 i; p* d  e) a! Y8 j( L& dHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
9 W; S1 E  w4 _/ ~
& g/ |% {  _% ?' y: [6 ~7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
: M: [8 F& Z9 K& ?9 s; p( \# n* ?
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
3 P6 q0 J- s5 Q% I2 ~" @' M' e
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 i5 B( R# D" i% k8 {
. O9 J2 ~, p  ^2 l8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
* a9 }' ?4 o9 v7 l$ z0 r
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。”

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.”

, r3 M" ^" ?7 r5 G天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

& S5 O! j3 b$ d4 ~10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
( J$ i( v; P6 m: Q
) I4 t9 h1 l; C  G6 j( E画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
2 F, I4 {) u0 S+ }1 D8 B. d0 A
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

' o( {" r$ `/ E' u# P% \Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

) F- h( [& ?  f7 I. A& v/ x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。
5 J& r% w6 ]8 ^( [! _
All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

( U2 S3 _3 H4 X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.
6 f# u8 f2 f9 |% b
13. 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.
% I6 }$ B) N5 z- [" J
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
( D: s1 r! B. V9 O6 n2 [
14. 江山易改，本性难移。
/ _; a6 ^# K1 ^/ E9 A& n
A leopard can’t change its spots.

6 A0 u3 ^/ E6 I% M江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
$ a2 P& ]  n, t( r
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
: B8 ~7 p  f: I% S* v; J
5 v6 R$ V" Z3 N- s7 D3 I$ m0 t0 sA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
; T! @2 k" n+ z& j2 ?5 q/ M& f
1 D. @6 ~3 `6 ]  f5 A0 q( b16. “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。

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( F/ S* Q/ t8 v
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.
1 i/ x7 I0 _, r0 Z$ P0 N( Y
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
' O: ?& a8 A/ P1 Q
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
- @8 U5 B( H: m) P& T
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
, z/ k) T# F0 w  a+ x4 t- `$ C- @
) h1 ~9 W, R! S; q* W/ {. ~哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

- j! ]$ i& H/ P' a1 n/ Z$ V18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
" ?7 u1 u% z; ^. N  I
" C$ p# `( u# XHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

# Y' w' F) |1 v4 ^  N( i胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
% |$ e" a5 A0 C, `$ s7 G0 H1 \
1 p" [5 N! W5 Z0 H$ t  e: S19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
: s9 ^1 N) o/ m; T/ F0 o
' ]1 r) Y& }% B" i2 sThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
9 c" A' h  K0 u% a, c8 ^
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

$ y( C$ n' j' h, R扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
- f" V7 a% x# x- E& U+ F
1 I( s9 m) B# S3 }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。
4 H! n% s7 t; i: j* h. A, t
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
1 j$ B4 m* r1 o1 u1 {0 O  r4 e0 I( J5 qbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 c" o) l4 t$ J& C上周日中午你去大统华了吗