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。
/ I8 L+ T) x% N( j0 \" h+ H
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
4 `+ j* @7 T6 o- ^3 e; a7 b* h/ Q
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
8 E6 E1 ]* C- E# X
3 H/ ~6 |5 H# |; I* h  t动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
/ |6 Z5 K- [: c! |# O
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
+ G( J( I- s4 t/ z4 `# H7 @+ H" P
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
6 B1 L9 B& ]# `! c. @
$ e' s0 i  E( i( q* U) u他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

& }' ~- b' M1 B7 S% P: |+ g' y" @刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
+ t. Z: |! w8 t: u' }: z
6 `7 `4 H% G/ j2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 J$ A- ?3 F' M) I# h* |: A9 wHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
% `0 Q: K1 J6 Y
' c, U- I: G0 ~3 B  q9 c不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
; Q, h, g0 E. Q$ h$ s  k& z
refuse to give up until all hope is gone
/ Q8 l6 ?6 @# n8 L+ d1 [
3. 十年树木，百年树人。
: _" c, a% f9 g" E! v. `
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.

5 h! m' I  P9 ]8 A/ M$ L) Z4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

: C( w0 i$ o& O& W! dHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
! Y* o8 g3 p4 q! X
( z* j1 m* L4 J) H5 P9 \石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

6 _3 u4 |  t5 |$ G# O$ H5 D5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
, d: k9 U" Y$ R* v
The only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
2 T! j. Z2 F+ n, d
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
* z3 a( ^# W( j" ]: d
% ?5 t7 Y9 q: _% {4 T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。
- q( _3 [4 v  q$ M) |" v
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
6 {& H2 T8 e- {8 h: A% t2 g$ z
2 A- d) d. A+ s2 r- ^. s7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
3 L: g8 L$ O$ Q) G0 _/ O8 x+ L
* s; q  n8 v* s. ?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 F+ i9 `4 B, s$ L
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
/ D2 w3 X- u+ }: v* X
& ~. j6 O' v1 F) XIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
6 ]5 t5 l, a  G  a! J6 W
4 @8 }" N' e7 X名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

: ]/ C) a* j' `7 f- ^( }1 gdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
. D  R1 K; v# X/ @
/ f5 J6 V0 o" A7 Z& e$ @live up to one’s reputation
2 l" z/ z' }& f2 n6 _+ w
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

7 J3 ^8 Z) s( d' C) i) d. _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 [- W+ q  D4 C# f% I; c+ x
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”。

0 m; J) j, l7 t5 N* qHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

2 b0 o2 C# q. D) A9 ?9 ?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。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.
$ s! H& ~. M& Y6 D/ a
0 r4 _- H" J6 p& ?( }1 h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.
8 A% d- A8 _. p' Z, R7 d  y2 X# w
12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
4 c% V3 Z! F$ R6 Q8 x1 q5 D6 P. ?5 [
All good things must come to end.
; O. j! `+ ?8 F9 i' {5 a
All feasts must come to an end.
: R. Z: ]% Q! w8 M
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.

13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。

" g$ ]" T5 q+ D& G* R0 U% @6 O8 rWith justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.

& r% w8 |! }/ T; W$ N扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

- `# m* m$ r5 k0 E; d  k1 _14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.

9 \+ [+ T. ]9 p; @- f江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

; n; X6 L! @3 Y15. 吃一堑，长一智。
  T% f+ ]% d& _- D
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。

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.
5 B+ v# I# L. |/ l  o
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 A  b) a, N& _  `
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
1 T. {' a- _9 O3 s4 d  \# ?1 a
5 t3 s' r4 q2 {6 v% y4 R煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

. v8 Q. p1 X+ ^' E% D! B17. 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.

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。
9 e- G/ Q9 n0 c- Z4 u" h( F. w
& I, J1 M$ Z, k% R  n2 {He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
- g5 d4 V0 |& J/ u; z
19. 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.

The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
- x& v0 }. v, ^# W3 |$ m# o
7 w  i) O7 P' m扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
% ]3 K9 ?) T& `- Z2 K+ m8 o3 `
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。

' R+ e4 p, }' e, Y7 _3 }; HHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
% v- M1 p" u2 ?: ?# wbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

* x4 a, h1 M: R1 P. Q. E& P5 j( l+ E上周日中午你去大统华了吗