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。

4 E! X+ f+ Q( a4 [( q5 c, s% J! IShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
# u) f& J3 Q4 y; C! M* ~
0 J  ]0 E% u) x, C. nShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
2 W/ n1 ?9 h5 j# S+ m
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

3 a0 u1 e) b$ |4 ^- L  J" `$ J# u, U动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
8 h0 _( |4 ^$ _8 h# A
8 |' z9 W) o, v. |% p. |动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

" G" a% s/ L% E" Y刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
- @6 m" n% Z9 s9 A+ X% K
2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
6 A7 W, O! w7 ^8 S
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

* L- |/ x4 x5 u( f4 n不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
0 ~  x/ Q9 J; k8 H# z
. p/ Z) R- `2 \# U9 h+ b9 Drefuse to give up until all hope is gone

5 J9 X# m/ ~/ T3. 十年树木，百年树人。

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。

$ C8 d8 [- M5 G) u* Z3 f' qHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
$ Z1 h+ ]+ C9 L4 s! Q4 z# ^
" K5 s5 t2 z0 O& i石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
( U% ]# T# N) o2 ^/ a) t
5 ], {4 X8 `. R  r6 X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
1 V) t7 Z3 n* K: y- Q
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.
$ H" K+ e) Y/ {  Y
2 ]) l! V2 s0 D8 UIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
; M; A& R) J5 }9 H3 w. O9 h
3 _# S7 B+ A1 c3 N9 F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.
5 G% U' Z0 j7 a9 C: W+ u; h
7 C5 |8 H: g4 m- r1 H; n6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
* v# \9 \  Q- I( S3 F+ N
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
, Q$ n& j, H8 o6 B, N* Q) P5 ?6 L
7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

: C, [1 p% w- e5 _, l6 MThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.

+ z6 x3 I  h& ]张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.

) ?5 p3 T' \- c; j1 G) b8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
' v6 W% g! T/ c; o) }- `& R: E
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
: F# h. z* a. u( h& l9 G
deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
/ |. `' X- C3 L$ [
" K2 w0 G$ q2 A9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
4 W) @$ K& U3 w
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.”

+ [6 y7 D; K+ J- _' p# D天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
3 Y. F' Q( d  s# C: E. F' U
1 B  j) x) B' k+ e0 C10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
, E1 ~- Q! ?& o' c; ~
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
# K! t. ]' V) _; o
/ e0 p( H: Y3 ~) L4 J; F画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

5 D" u8 j: A# ]" i/ a0 F9 BTom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" _4 ^# S# V7 B+ w" u$ n) [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.
# X- V+ n4 ~: E( X# K/ R9 H
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

* p0 a$ o6 M0 V' C3 b. BAll feasts must come to an end.

8 N2 K' S5 Y1 M/ _# k% W2 Z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.
+ q. {) u& [, `' \7 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.

; x& U) c9 ^+ R# F& u1 S. ?+ a扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

& q( I7 V2 U' y) P/ g& U14. 江山易改，本性难移。

' [; {; I4 r  F& @: {$ bA leopard can’t change its spots.
0 X% }: R4 N. _0 ^3 m7 {/ ?( v
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

1 O! L3 _$ W( q' ?/ O' Y6 S15. 吃一堑，长一智。
5 L7 B  X2 `' X! c
. @. k* g/ q. ?+ yA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
" v2 F" U1 h, Y: i. h% \
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.
- v9 D0 F! o% e/ r& l9 Q' ]$ R7 F
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.
: c; U) ~: |/ F
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

5 M; P% ~: z* u, H$ q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.
7 m. Q. b/ c$ ?% _) @$ w# x& ]
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。

! f  s( t& S; d8 u$ J0 W, EHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
. a8 g7 C0 O9 p% ]. Q; J  T0 w
$ f! [* v( R' G" G" F# ^: p19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
3 G4 t0 J" M9 S6 [
% `  F; i5 w& q/ WThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
! X4 S3 [" O( M2 D1 ]- ^
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
. ^; X  J  i8 o
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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗