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。
; C3 F3 ^: ]) Y( B, E7 e
She 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.
8 W/ K, F2 A1 D1 d* i8 c2 f
动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
# M* d& W: _3 k' @: ~6 u
. |+ c1 g, o4 D5 m# Z动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
: ?  }8 s' A2 T& v$ F/ h
# J# S3 d  i* U8 [+ f. K- Q. ?动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

# X& W4 H4 B) u# ~' r- j: p, r) M他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

+ |+ b# |1 ?6 u4 M3 N: X7 `) P刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
! W3 `1 V! i* {8 b( A3 {% ~
1 w! q, y& ^2 K+ y" M7 p2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

- |; `+ l4 j& |: b, H. j& 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;
2 q& r( R  _) l- F% }! B& ~
; S' ]2 a# L9 u0 a' [$ A7 Brefuse to give up until all hope is gone
: X) D* d5 }" \/ T* q  a' c  P  }5 V
3. 十年树木，百年树人。
+ B+ ~8 @$ o5 T0 N6 v
8 J1 r4 v" h# [/ jIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
9 L" [% Y, ?# y5 R
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
" U" F8 ?  Q# S# n2 H; ~- O4 S3 `
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
6 Z" \9 b  W1 |( W0 w! }
) k" ?0 |0 O( W+ G+ Z) k2 D' yThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
" E8 E' B) L$ V. u, a2 z% C
* ^* f6 R% x: P* ], ?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.

+ U- j+ f/ B5 G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.
& Q# i8 T! W" W4 S, L8 [
: p5 I4 L5 e2 p! W' j$ i6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
2 I6 t" l( {: S' f% }
3 J. |1 D& y0 d/ H6 KHe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
8 f; ~' P2 p" O# t! u, O# K
$ L* W9 w! Q" M4 ^7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
: g. G' ^' l5 r. _
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
/ p+ {( N6 U8 o, ]7 u( V* t8 [: z
* N: l/ e6 M# p7 \8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
' |! k+ t1 f. y" U$ ?
! M8 W# H3 S( ]1 kIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
- C. E4 F) w- Y. p$ a+ t
7 B! N8 @: n" O, h. M1 g名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

6 Z* |, g" E6 H) Y0 ideserve the reputation one enjoys;

live 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。”

* l( t2 N+ G8 a" o0 b2 FMy 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.”
4 u6 h, }% L9 g. G1 W- ]+ [. ~6 \* c
天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
) D( a( r; E5 r" ?0 |# ?  ^
10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
1 L. Y6 |9 s9 r3 k$ E. T8 S
. }& I5 |( z7 x4 G, GHe giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

* I& ]! d4 J( a; h/ h3 L画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

' Y: ], H  ~9 Z2 u8 K7 A" s11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
. y0 G# s! P9 G8 B' f
Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

4 T% Y2 t/ [0 C- P- Q0 x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。
* k: R2 P& [7 y: q& G- }) ~9 S
6 a) p1 m& R$ J1 Z7 uAll good things must come to end.

# @8 G( k" O$ v, f; O7 qAll feasts must come to an end.
) W5 F. m. G7 R$ o  S0 W
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.
9 ?" p. F, l# g& @/ W
% s- q: }' o" N' \0 f: [. `8 [( x/ `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.

* \  O9 V7 ~& A, w: j+ }( Q扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。

- t3 D9 U/ H5 t8 N' |2 L# tA leopard can’t change its spots.
  c' W7 a/ z; K, c
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
3 S" k( X, ]' A# M. V
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
) Q$ p. [! t4 y/ Y" L: o$ P! e: I' Z% ~
3 p/ j  u: b% I* U0 X' J# g: uA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
" M4 t0 Q9 h! K9 c  Q7 a
5 J- D+ J. ]: D# g5 S0 ^2 q16. “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。

8 r* d" U' ?/ |; ETalk 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.
4 p1 |" V3 y2 [8 E2 `/ G$ k
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
' N3 p. s0 s4 K& Y8 B
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
+ d: j( x8 q8 i
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.
/ P+ |+ d- Q) `
; Q: h' B" P! I# S哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

$ n  L: R/ V6 ^. z- C* |18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
! y5 U& u# B( [3 a% [3 _
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
! `$ Q+ u1 m+ x! \, p) O% z
4 S" N, ^0 K4 }19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
, x( Y+ C8 B! C# O6 \& q
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.

6 v! i( m6 V8 FThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
  y6 i! [6 m/ e8 D7 d8 x1 @
0 ]7 f5 M1 b3 c0 o2 a  }: f扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated

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!
# h  [7 `8 `2 B9 R. Z& b8 P7 zbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

1 ?& G4 s- G- `3 `: }4 O  H上周日中午你去大统华了吗