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.
+ v1 D7 w! ]1 t# P
  o$ @2 h7 @0 o( u5 r* YShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
; R# y0 V5 F7 |' Z( t4 ^: ?5 x8 N- B  x
8 t& l9 V3 k& z  }4 o' T动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

# r1 D9 L! B. P3 b8 C" M+ \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.

$ t* d% I  C+ P: ^1 \( n. ], Q) g' T6 f刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

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.
% H6 n/ |+ M% ^/ v! q* O
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
* |; s& g. L, s5 n
1 C$ [5 M" t$ B+ J; _refuse to give up until all hope is gone

8 m$ I$ d' n9 g) l6 ?3. 十年树木，百年树人。
5 z7 C: O+ t5 I0 j: c( [: L
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
5 p5 Q5 f( l9 W0 a. A
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

: H. y+ P3 p" c# YHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

' |2 g4 C. m5 h4 F石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

7 _5 g- L: ^0 d$ K) M5 ?5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
% ~% d9 Q2 d( z. d+ D: E
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
: u3 n% D; x& O3 L% a) N* M, w  E
! r  y. o* V0 lThe 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.
2 A! i/ }- x5 G7 ]1 g- s8 z$ ^
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.
8 P* @  ?4 O( a' Y
- m7 l* v5 w8 B  c4 y6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。

He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
0 n; Q/ [1 k$ P
- ]2 g/ A( _  K; w+ v* V% C0 s4 m2 _7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

3 e3 Q6 t3 C/ o. h% yThis 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.
! P6 {. E/ A" p& ?$ \8 n1 L
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

2 a/ d6 V+ u8 |& N3 S" EIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
- L) f& O+ s0 C) e$ r4 w
名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

deserve the reputation one enjoys;

live up to one’s reputation
* K% M6 q" g  Z. `9 x+ X  W. m3 X+ A
2 [8 F) {, H4 z" `- f4 @9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
' \+ g% Z5 [% A& h" {3 d, M" u
/ v( \: Q8 O# D) T$ n- [. pMy 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.”

' R1 |4 ~7 I" w1 ~3 B1 K5 h, l( t天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
! O8 D+ [7 i- L4 n
He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”

画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
& Q4 h5 M4 g% D$ [
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
1 Z: {2 U4 K) ~" n/ d/ V
% o$ ^# s1 |) A" `Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" e6 @8 ]' v/ j  O) K+ J0 |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。
( m- \5 J7 @1 h5 J' B
+ j  P0 Q: t; s; L2 AAll good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.
: y0 T3 A  M( H8 t$ J# E4 _
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.
4 C9 M' \4 B0 N, _
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
2 k) P2 q8 n# t/ y* @5 r, P
. j4 h( n3 w4 @With justice on your side, you can go anywhere; without it, you can’t take a step / move an inch.
7 c, |6 D, {" D& S6 k5 g
1 F: P6 s6 I- t2 ]$ r( r扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
$ X6 X7 N7 D, g7 L% o4 B! ~- h# m0 f
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

: s- a4 I, ^) P% E- ~A leopard can’t change its spots.

' F( J9 F5 a+ X+ O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 Z; m: ^4 F+ H8 Z, F( t
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
- f4 z9 m- G7 i
5 G8 j, T) f: }# zA 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。
7 ]4 e+ ^/ O( a' m
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.
, t" o+ |* U3 m; U8 `* 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.
% N0 T' f  a' ~6 R) d7 _- K
借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

% }) a- M% y/ p/ T2 |煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。

) I" L) q, a+ r9 v2 U& Y+ iI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

* D2 ^0 Y  R# p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。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
7 q8 r' I  }' R% |' L
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

  D$ B9 O5 f7 v: C( h19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。

/ S3 K4 d9 I* C3 }. LThe 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.
# a! u+ g9 W! c; h% [: P
扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
0 z2 v& R9 H# S0 }5 J% z
) Y9 D& D) {  z0 d' O* M9 u6 H9 T20. 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。
6 a0 I& M# A! B. w* W
. A# z1 Y/ N2 r8 u, |9 b2 x. NHe used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
, e) E+ V7 S2 x# J9 [: p. s! K4 g5 t4 ubillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗