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。

8 X- m/ U+ l: }; VShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
. u- V) E9 U4 c3 q0 s
: g; O6 o3 s' N0 I( H' _$ qShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
' X2 G" W. H% B7 m8 M& H
: f$ T" Q6 g$ o动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
' N5 r$ G/ Q# T4 t+ T
- |; v* u+ i9 h4 T( X$ A3 e9 S; u动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
- H) B4 V3 h% ~0 G
( `; I1 R5 Q1 `3 J他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
* I; i) Q+ l0 x" ?
( f# t. F: b$ i# V2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
! j7 G4 f* f1 G, X1 e
! F- j7 @! d6 _, k$ X) k3 DHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;

refuse to give up until all hope is gone
# x' ]4 |3 W' w; S' d
2 ^/ j# g6 u; c7 D3. 十年树木，百年树人。
! |5 o& i  i( _: `( i: r  A
. ^2 p% Y/ j  L$ ZIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
- t( k: f' l& L. {( K+ e. Q
5 f7 b3 `' l$ x( r/ S( x4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
; p' Y8 O0 I# E8 O- B9 `
He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

& v, ?/ [9 T+ H# v0 @* O石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
* e( \* ~/ ?4 D( O5 O7 \' ~
/ _# }3 [5 R& T) b% g5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
& [; p+ C8 j1 b4 j7 s8 y
6 b+ Y6 O7 w: ]* Z& p* t- sThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

9 {- c4 p( \. n/ _/ S$ [2 qIf 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.

* s# B4 y0 y, z7 B6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

9 z% V; q+ v+ j* eHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
! }, s9 p, V) m% z- [4 k
This 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.

/ b) \2 Y  g( _% l4 p8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
9 h7 n0 G" `1 {6 }7 V, I6 d- u/ n
1 Y4 i; c! X6 k3 F- u3 X6 Q; o5 YIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
: W+ ~, A( r$ @: ?5 Y
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
3 o/ h( H% O7 u  o/ n) o
+ t# W- P  c* Q( sdeserve the reputation one enjoys;
  i) _+ r5 z) V/ l9 N) k
' n! Q$ w. D+ x, _" Rlive up to one’s reputation
/ b  N. M# \5 _$ u# k* v* [
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

. \; O3 _9 @% t6 v* XMy 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.”
; J. i: S' }" H+ Y; y
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
$ a: ^- w, @6 D! U5 [; j
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

% C' x0 V9 h4 u2 S+ c8 tHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
$ K+ Y( ~6 f$ ~% T' d
, ?8 U) ~% Z4 {4 v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。
; {; Y" g$ U# P, w  v& t( ]
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.

- n4 D- p! x4 r9 K7 b0 }9 ~12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
: ?. H! R! ?- w% P
8 r% X4 X8 e! l0 m' ?All good things must come to end.
& ^" S2 C* O& T0 c; M
All feasts must come to an end.

; M( `* a2 j3 R+ q8 a6 S- h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。
" r7 b  J' V* _2 ]0 Y6 D
! r7 W. X8 n0 j, h$ o- T; @With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
- P/ R5 m' x  R
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

" B" ]9 I9 Q( Z2 a/ z14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
  t1 }; h" n  h
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
% A  ^3 V2 @5 ?6 E4 P8 S
" s+ R& @1 ^. `+ c# Q6 [/ H15. 吃一堑，长一智。

! X7 j) Z- G# _, M" N* _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 i2 ^2 C( O: n- z
1 \; W! b& D6 S0 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.
8 E! \9 Q: S5 w# p
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

0 p* r  g8 ^0 E& d- q煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

! D  Q+ H: [" X7 B' v17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

, c# i4 M7 G5 C$ a/ F! D' d$ jI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
* {# d! P6 n- ?! C1 M4 ?7 ^# u
% t9 h  m" ]+ H+ @" y  W哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

2 y7 D/ L% s5 v0 P$ N18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
. v+ Y- @' E% b2 b" ?7 Y, i; H; d
! H) `1 N+ I1 g  xHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
* s8 k, ?# }2 F  B6 Q
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
  T. y% b+ H6 `) O7 ^9 v2 x
' n6 Q2 g" s2 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.

: b- f1 T1 d, r4 `5 p, s* o$ l! o* UThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
. J* y& f( c- Q" I" @5 n
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
, Y1 Z8 K7 p: A
0 d; W% K' w' J6 {, y& W1 A20. 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。
0 z& W. q( a  c" |' w
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

; V7 t& H3 g8 h: W6 V2 v  A* U3 E上周日中午你去大统华了吗