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。

! _2 ~, n  X5 y( [+ o+ k3 ^1 @She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

) [7 D  q; h3 S8 `: sShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
1 d) t/ m) D3 s7 H/ c
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
, k9 y+ d4 b# q0 U) }8 k5 t, x
" h( V0 Y# Z: z' N他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
6 l5 T$ _& V% B3 U: o' i
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
1 w$ j9 S  L; P) T8 T4 Q3 B
+ Q# Z, @. {, A$ X6 Z9 i2. 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.

" j3 h4 R; c  w7 L; j8 X) x% q- N9 d不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

$ `% d& s* _, q( \5 c# wrefuse to give up until all hope is gone
& ?; X) N7 t# F8 J; J4 y9 H
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

2 |" O/ l( U  e4 S  oIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
& p1 ^( ^! z* j3 q' }0 c; `' J' E  {
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

: \( }) z/ R4 c$ `+ l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。

9 [. Q/ d: r2 ?/ G& K' zThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
1 o, _" I" w5 K$ b
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
& _$ h) k! k  {) ^6 \+ v% G8 F
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
9 p: y  p" T* `7 o" w4 n( J" s
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.
# b: O5 M) {) F" u0 O6 E7 P
9 q+ f% [% }& O! d7 l. _, H' G7 m6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
" T, s5 S/ L4 D& p8 E1 y6 S4 }
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

9 y2 @( k0 C) \# n2 q7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

- I* A+ g. ^7 o0 d# T! E' S9 _& tThis 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.
; {% N/ i& J8 ?; _
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

6 z- Y3 X. @+ o5 [+ H' hIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
$ h* n1 U! `( D1 k. ~% [' P) \
deserve the reputation one enjoys;
8 @% }* S* _1 V! m& S; [
) f9 h: q5 e3 C- Y5 g) U' Y- V2 F6 Nlive up to one’s reputation
0 c0 L" f8 k6 ?5 E  m
1 t4 L4 k4 d$ I) s% N9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

* W& V$ y$ A7 e. c: }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.”

; B6 `/ q7 O/ h+ Z- ], t, c天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

2 F& m! Q. ?3 Z0 \2 U# r/ N) w0 t( a10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

, b1 v* O4 j4 ^, p0 n& |He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
9 w: ?2 Q& }- m# {! V, F4 ^4 o/ i9 y
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

+ d5 K- c& r0 k# w2 E11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
  v+ p7 y. `+ c% `3 o8 I& J& J
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
1 k' B% J4 D; H% W! W/ d
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.
% S8 W7 {4 a* d: s+ D% G- a
4 H  [9 z, Q4 x& S' B- k12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

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.
, E& H7 v! @3 G3 C3 z# _; C
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

7 c0 @& G7 E& S- I* mWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
) m* c7 x6 i  f2 W, t4 y7 H
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
( ~& l2 v( _8 n  K, `" f. k( {! ]
! B* _0 g3 [5 E7 S& WA 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。
% o' X, G) ?8 I3 ]8 y1 p
2 c$ G6 w2 }& T" t, t5 A4 P. Y% tA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
% L" s7 b) G, [" `
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。

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.
6 a: W: o4 E8 _+ ~! @
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 a* a5 ^+ y) q) L2 @
0 O( V2 V% @! ]+ L4 g) u借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

, N! e* }$ d& |( U煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 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.
* t5 |1 h% t1 g, z" H
1 {. U  [0 W# q3 Z: M3 ?5 B哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

& v# U" F9 ~. X18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

- d. X: C' b) n1 ~* H  _% w/ i6 SHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
! S5 v  a+ M* @  `
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
& m2 U! L# \9 g6 C- R. s) |
: {3 s  j( M( n% f3 t% d* i$ f) F19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

" x) Q! N9 M$ q8 Z) Q: \! aThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

  A+ ~( I: H  t8 D. q扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

0 I1 d. X4 }  X6 Y5 a- `3 J4 u20. 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。

9 Q) C. b7 J! H+ T' h" K( THe 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

) m8 b. S: @9 M上周日中午你去大统华了吗