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。

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.

/ r/ s% c* o" B8 M: x4 y+ R' ]' D8 W动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
2 x2 l4 M2 ^: S* o& d) F% o
动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper

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
4 r6 n, Q* T1 R5 K4 g" C
3 D4 n% f9 o+ t0 o6 h2. 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.

不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
+ {& i" H; ~' x. |7 Y: `
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

3 U$ }) M6 r% l7 Z4 `7 B3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
7 m1 h( n6 }: |3 d8 x! s4 z2 k5 n8 n
' S# |& i, [/ O" ?4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

2 m9 p' W" g+ j9 IHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

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。

The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.

) Q3 P, [4 n7 H/ ~9 g/ H4 r, O6 XThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
; O! j+ A1 B" `  ^: D3 J
If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

" d6 e0 }. |* j, o0 H4 d' m( H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。
( a+ X( z$ W2 p" l
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

. L  N, f; W& R7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
" o5 E9 H$ [6 _& F( b
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
9 g. g* k3 A/ }% _+ _6 D) J
" t5 B5 F# n0 F1 _% c! f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。

4 U( |& Z3 V9 m0 i6 g/ iIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

/ k5 p( I9 N* A7 `7 m名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;
5 ?6 @2 f# e! F6 h0 g& ?5 a6 @" |; `1 W
3 P3 F% w$ ^0 n# ?$ rlive 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。”

% h/ p9 v2 ?1 ^! ]3 ?% e) s/ }/ @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.”

天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
! A# r$ o4 G: z- u
) d: |8 H7 y! e( H3 H10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
7 b! ~/ ]% Q$ v7 E1 M& ]
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

6 Q( C5 B/ ~7 I3 M6 |& L3 C+ I画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
! Z8 ~" q$ a" C; E1 H/ B
6 K& i  n+ T0 ^' D% P11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

8 ]( }# @, `& H! Z9 d9 n  R1 b4 sTom 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。

All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

; W: y/ ~; `8 J  s# K/ T" R9 `2 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.
' n% Y: Z: \. S6 Q8 l
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
/ G* ?  A, B2 O, \( i. l
3 d1 }$ d9 m) ^0 ?With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
# v0 r$ E8 O) r. N
扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

- [& J" s: R7 K5 o3 ~14. 江山易改，本性难移。

- [7 u& y# d8 DA leopard can’t change its spots.
& k$ Y' c- v- F4 [  ^
; X. @+ ^/ V) b4 A江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.

15. 吃一堑，长一智。
! l3 N5 [: r( i% I6 D) q4 o
' }7 D! v$ w/ Y& s( Z: MA 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。
: S( c) [  H' _0 J! x& ], L% c. h% [* ?
6 Z2 M2 `* {7 r8 HTalk 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.

& i8 ~$ l' \' N% m' N' ]7 B6 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.
) z  n. I# @$ p2 a3 L: l
  F  Z) `4 z* Z* M$ C! O借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
( g8 p0 e' Z& \* G, |% H
! M; A- W% s" p! d煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

" X# _0 R! o% q; y8 X3 ?  }17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
7 K( I) l! R" i- @% l
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。

& y( J0 E* [5 E* {He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
- D2 P* ?) L) H
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

& a" A( l2 N' v' n# B5 d% xThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
8 j9 w$ e6 J& Q
The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
: d  e; [2 c, r1 l4 V/ u! w
6 ~. X: O# |" d, `0 a) V' Q0 Z扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
6 r+ M' ?  P: _/ e; V0 d
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 s- W- y# W! |* @/ m& ^* A) fHe 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

6 c" W7 k, D# F' Y% M1 I上周日中午你去大统华了吗