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.
  r$ p; H# g8 }# K, G* H  n
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
; e: C( v/ _; d' H1 [
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

" O. ~% ~9 i& g8 c* z* b) \7 D8 M动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
- M2 E8 a: t9 d& b, L4 Q" @7 h
& X& @( B- A3 N8 N+ G动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
: g, ^% N. Z+ X3 }
8 J  C' `1 n, i他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
" H; G* O2 H1 k7 j; g
  A3 `  [. a  _) T7 O3 u7 F1 k刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

0 [+ w0 z1 |5 Z; ?. L& _& M4 i2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
  M/ h' M* X+ P' a, f2 }
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

" j3 ^& ^3 U5 e# K不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
& j9 j) N' w. r7 L9 S5 n$ y8 u
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

: ?6 F: O9 N; B$ I3. 十年树木，百年树人。

2 X% ~4 _/ @& K5 H! n+ GIt 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。
7 e& N* P2 z$ b" E2 ~8 E- |
9 n7 s( {+ ~! x$ A2 c- MHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
6 w& l1 v/ I! A. @* p+ W
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。
6 I9 J, F/ J$ b3 ^
& m" b$ _! \+ ^4 GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
* J( A4 v3 E9 W# ?. d. a, m) ~# R
, C" W4 S5 @* q5 D6 ?3 GThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

4 A1 u# \! y0 h, T/ CIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
6 `. q1 a7 _& E" A" y! \8 m
/ k8 B5 G* P5 G& |1 X9 M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。
' a: F1 m% e9 Q# g  [  t' j! X" I6 p
4 g" }+ V* M+ b- Z* |1 AHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

, p) }' v$ `; P. SThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
4 f! r9 J0 w: X6 D- E  o6 n6 w- _
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。
& V6 C+ p' E3 ^/ ?0 t! w& J% Q6 S% [* [
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
; f! S& C; K/ A+ z# y
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
+ X2 z5 L! D. N
live up to one’s reputation
8 H$ w- I& q# z. d7 d$ o7 K3 ?
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.”

# |; u; \: K6 @1 G3 C9 T( ^天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

& v% M- b& e7 `9 V" n7 v2 r/ a, g- m# d10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
( y  L8 q0 R/ z, C
9 M  ~* p$ Z3 l. tHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
  I6 [8 \- m; z, ~9 \! L
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
3 f( \5 S1 V! a5 U- a+ X; [0 V/ H
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
# o. Z/ c4 q9 |9 c% ], X
Tom 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.
. ~# ~! Z1 N! [4 t
0 p$ @. [8 f9 \1 D12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

! m# q1 H1 `  W' B2 EAll feasts must come to an end.

1 U) r, Y" P8 m' S- p, r2 `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 i. Q& L- `+ \& W1 f+ ?
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
- E4 A( q; w3 Q4 y8 v
# Q9 M7 o6 m2 Z  ^7 MWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
% q# o/ w6 S) e; h  i
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

4 N' Y8 O8 v) x4 Z14. 江山易改，本性难移。
; q# L/ ~: ^% Q$ C% g1 U' q
A leopard can’t change its spots.

9 ^/ V0 n7 H( b) I江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

# H0 j; ~* K2 ?) t2 Q' e7 [: @15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

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。
; V/ h# C: t* g
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.

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.

; ?9 [8 x* h! [* u5 z, z1 w$ X借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

% C$ \  z. w' j2 ~: N煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

/ \( ]" v4 H4 Z5 V17. 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 N4 t5 o; p1 g& a0 l
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
4 T. \4 @- R8 \  c% @$ n! A
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
$ n3 r8 U" r) m3 R: V* ~. L# ]
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
2 L1 @9 N" W# n, c+ n1 C2 W/ x
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
0 {( O. O- n, T& G! V! O
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
7 i& `( C1 B) F! ]: }1 v
/ J) ~6 e  K, L' mThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
; C; q* R$ {* ~3 @$ f  X0 P, m4 o& S
' l* Z& v; ]2 ?8 {4 w/ L扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
$ k) X3 _" O3 _1 N
0 Y" A  }" N, @* _5 |$ J20. 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。
2 S9 }* q  L0 M
! {5 l; c$ V5 t3 G: K+ @He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

, a5 A' N! z+ ~  ^) B# C) M上周日中午你去大统华了吗