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。
( M) o6 ?; N' W4 e6 p5 d( J
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

5 m' y- Y, g* W  z0 y1 W+ B- F4 g# SShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
9 L- a0 a  f6 W6 g
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
7 l  T' s) }$ i* F2 b
9 S2 J; y2 ?$ x- w. `5 k0 f9 k6 u7 F动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
( U1 N& @+ }% q
) g' Y( {( e  i* h动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
6 W* C7 q& C% o5 n; Y
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
6 w( V" c0 m( D1 |$ a" s; N$ ?& d
刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

' E+ I3 h7 ^6 H- E7 z( l2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
% O  B0 {6 x: w  d2 a5 c
He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

8 U6 V3 m' n$ N+ U6 z1 M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

/ ?& B8 ?$ S8 F# _+ f  B2 L) G$ a+ G3. 十年树木，百年树人。
$ x5 a. e/ W; ?+ i4 P: V
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。

, I: i/ ^8 o' \6 X) N3 {3 `. ?9 ]He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
/ B. \9 ]6 z% \8 u
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.
8 A' T% r' m- |* x9 _* r& o' h: {
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

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.

  m7 B# j, c( M, SIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
$ I% V, ~4 G! M/ k6 k: D
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.

7 C, Z( b! i5 y- h6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
9 d' @7 M0 I- e! ^: `: d+ F
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
7 O. G1 n7 w& S$ n, L
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.

8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
( D) G7 Z: q& J
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
& s* `: m& f  h
# q7 y- w, Z7 ]名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
5 @- I8 n" b" b+ o8 r; g- A
9 ]: j" A; }  b1 ]deserve the reputation one enjoys;
( Z4 {" b7 s7 K* O) f
& K- h9 z: l  `& J  flive up to one’s reputation
) H: e# s0 G  ?# q+ `
, y4 S# ?; M2 D9 P- j( w9 Q- y  o9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”

6 V7 }/ G6 ^5 t4 b- O! ZMy 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.”
" D# W* c  }+ B0 D1 M
9 k9 n+ x0 J( y2 g天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
* s) y9 ~; G9 Z2 S$ [+ n4 p
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
, s. I4 I8 V8 Y$ s5 J3 F/ z" Z
3 e+ U8 E: z6 Q' D, u. U& v3 K( |He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
* w! S& ^- m1 {2 Z
) @" Z% D4 R% [, H画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
4 @( C) @" ]3 a. J. }6 {
% c& |3 \3 B8 p& {# E11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

6 \+ O1 ?3 c$ P' U$ N$ `4 p3 e; Y! qTom 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.
" W2 A2 M+ \' K* J
) M: o' l- P0 |5 \* E/ ^, V7 G12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

All good things must come to end.

5 Z  @7 k( n! h4 RAll 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.

+ J4 f3 W7 z( \7 W+ X0 N" K13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
! [! `- |. F. O0 i0 s
With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
, ]& ?* U* N8 h/ |# s+ U
5 i, f+ Q) E1 T# _. e# }扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
3 v- \3 k% n8 x7 `' H: [' e- n
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

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.
4 c2 J' \, Z5 W; X: j( N
8 h4 o3 W8 F  t" g, ~2 G15. 吃一堑，长一智。

/ ^9 X8 z5 w8 k2 [! Y9 Y+ W* c% R) FA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

: J! G" t# p% |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。
# q* R' J% q2 o+ E
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.

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.

, X( R9 H# t. j7 i5 ^4 n借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

: p7 U6 z( z% ]8 @% Q煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

0 N% T' b9 I2 H5 ?* s5 P17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

7 A% J5 Q4 `) I- uI 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

" O) f7 F/ J! W18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
7 T# m  D, I1 a) t9 X
" e& B" ?4 h) B/ z  M" Z8 w胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
  m7 X& r# \. a2 ?
* w' |8 |* b; @1 m19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
* {5 x6 u$ R, J, X
" p. m$ Y- U2 h8 s# C9 n, m6 JThe 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.
2 x; ^4 Z* P0 t4 I! A( Q4 x6 V/ e
- T* N- l$ m. P" T0 H扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
# {3 Y! D& f  [+ R: B! f
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。

2 O' \& S8 Y6 i$ h" oHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
" E0 L* v. `. f  kbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

/ M* K8 `0 w7 D  X* A6 [8 W. T上周日中午你去大统华了吗