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。

: p5 D, X% f" V- W7 V2 u9 AShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
  Q7 X4 V% E) H) R" }% X
# R( M. B2 H$ g, z, [6 x动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
+ X# N& f! J" @! x4 I# ^6 W: ?
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
% p+ c4 _% P/ l  `5 l4 U* D0 r& h1 U
动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
9 R' m! r2 s: n8 @( `- {
4 @2 |# R! q1 R3 T. S  F他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
* i5 E' F6 T+ _
4 j4 i1 E# [) U0 T& B6 I$ q刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
5 S( e3 A% f! W2 E- Z, i0 R
2. 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.

; o7 i& A) x! M5 J9 |: o2 Q/ |/ ?7 v不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
* t* s/ F$ y/ ~$ ~# F+ _
* C, Y, c* K: Irefuse to give up until all hope is gone
  r+ O1 Y# C6 ~$ d1 t6 r5 v+ v+ ]; t! k! o
3. 十年树木，百年树人。
+ {2 n: p/ Z4 e
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
, z) k4 Y8 \; g7 m
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

8 [) B9 l3 g. B% y  M3 GHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
' d+ Z' j& h: Y: N  M
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
; ?1 O9 t5 [, ?! E& J: {
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
  T! M4 _6 F/ S2 X* d/ M8 J
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
9 }& w! `7 V$ T0 c/ }; {1 r4 F' p
; X& f8 V6 H8 e2 u% D5 ~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.

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 m+ o* V6 |# X* S6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

  G- a. I2 _: H* d1 m1 E! g3 t4 ~He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

& J1 U9 F' O6 p- e2 I7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
+ m+ A8 O; U( ~* z* d* d
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
, T  Q: l+ _3 f  k$ k5 d
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
' r& w1 s' V$ x2 B/ Y% C3 K
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
9 j3 P) j" D$ k2 O- {
0 [8 S: A9 K2 U- nIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
& c( C1 P* s" g" r% g3 `
0 d; x8 f, L3 {4 t8 _* W名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
- f* ]- V& Y/ n$ p# D- Y
deserve the reputation one enjoys;
! _1 X2 i  W8 O8 O8 G3 `& ]/ |9 R
- n2 _/ N! I+ tlive 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。”
( M4 I3 J8 ?. L, c% P9 P% Z' ]
  l/ L2 d9 v% _# a4 G0 F- JMy 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.”
1 i- _' H& Z/ n* l6 ?3 `
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
* H% a/ f9 [; [5 v  T
3 q3 W# y. U" v5 W& Q. s8 ]10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
& f) C0 K7 l6 b7 U! i) d
% X, }7 A4 T! K( _1 CHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

6 ~" z7 j, T8 I9 a& w画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
; a3 k  M9 a/ y. @' _3 j9 Q
! j; D7 g5 h7 ~" v& J9 y11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
4 s; m) [& K& d/ m* [
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.

12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

6 a6 T1 F) a* F; T1 LAll good things must come to end.
6 }7 g: V6 @# _+ ^
! B$ h7 i* D" P$ ]" AAll 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.
5 e" H+ }: s/ g$ q9 W
. p  M+ s; E) j0 o- _! n: p13. 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.
7 K% p; ^" Z$ m# ]' L; Z9 S
  M; `# Q$ w: O扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
6 k4 F# e4 U' k; [- z
A 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.
7 N# i& ?0 l3 e/ Z5 ]
: w7 @1 w4 {1 L, L. V0 r$ J15. 吃一堑，长一智。

A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
& Y7 ?! M' g" L: R
# r6 w& y0 X$ ^& l& I16. “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.

  Q2 R- i1 K  A7 G% g7 Y) n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.

& D1 i3 T4 A7 |借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

' p+ A; |( _3 K- L煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
8 M, y" x) A; X8 J5 v" m
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

- H( A0 W/ e% k) l' t+ `; v6 hI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
5 k% s( O- l# ^- O2 Y3 E
3 M1 q: `+ W9 f/ R5 [9 n哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

1 H7 Z" u6 ]" r" e% e& o18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
4 i7 b& k7 Z2 J5 F5 x
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

: R2 V6 b* K, k5 n胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
8 x7 W$ Z* c" M0 }3 R
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
( ]! y6 d$ N3 R" y2 R- v. e
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
: m/ G2 t) e2 _9 D- ]. {% x* `; z
, S* l! h" p. G% a( O# l& K5 r; Z" iThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

6 k# q; a( ]' o' z20. 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。
; p" g0 a# Q; D! R! ?1 N
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
4 j% G6 A: s% Rbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 k! J/ J# W0 I8 ^, f5 D上周日中午你去大统华了吗