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.
) D+ g4 m* c' L
3 J$ {' t6 x  v4 X4 S3 R# IShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

9 X  V2 e  |' K- K动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
& l9 ?2 a1 _# S; M8 `3 p
3 B% b' a3 ?9 r1 P( `2 D动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily

% B0 n1 S! [+ E8 K" H3 H" I动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
* u% }8 n: |  l, b& f
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

* t5 D6 Z( m) }5 l0 q' ^, N刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
; J+ g, i0 o: s3 b! o. x6 m
0 h3 D1 t2 h9 N" `4 F/ ]9 K( [He wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
2 ^4 A! G) ^: Y+ A( P
不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
, i" o2 K9 R, ]. i2 Z# t0 y' R' X) h
( ?6 ~1 U& o2 Krefuse to give up until all hope is gone

* b) s1 v' x# o0 l. Z2 V$ A  \3. 十年树木，百年树人。
3 T# g6 @0 e" N
It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
- A3 z$ R# L7 ^2 y$ Q) ^+ }
4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
2 G7 z3 K, d$ l; _
/ j) A8 D4 |# o: wHe 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.
2 A5 t) E' E% D! I
5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
" t1 R, ^$ y7 Q8 \5 S6 A
5 C3 o, A6 c& m7 G% y" i0 pThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
. m0 o2 q$ I: C. @6 i$ A1 U
4 {' i- k" [" q, M( j8 f8 rThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.

' c* L# l% c8 |' U' U% `! _7 PIf you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.
/ q, P/ g9 Q  G, Y. r6 ~# M9 h
0 C9 e& R0 G* U3 u  T, ]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.
* m* z. Q9 w6 Z/ A5 A6 O3 m
' D- I% o  z8 R2 s  J5 v: r6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
: i; h2 I8 [) ?  X4 i0 I9 h7 A5 j
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
5 Y' f! K4 A0 ]; o7 ?. d4 Y/ B
) M! _- ~. }7 |' u0 {7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
, m) _' U0 n8 U0 }) b' S
$ ]/ u9 w, |1 X7 o$ qThis is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
! V# M# m7 `' u" E& E
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。
+ G, C* j4 J1 B( K6 e+ g
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
) I" v3 P, K6 a- p, h& r6 y  [2 r
' w+ O, T  r/ N名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
! e& q: H% G  l- v
6 G" T2 X; ?5 ]deserve the reputation one enjoys;
; m+ @7 }1 @6 m* O! Y1 ~
live up to one’s reputation

$ ^7 M: X6 s8 j) Z; U9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
( p: q/ x- o; f" A( u- b! ~
) ]2 h. {2 q$ Q" vMy 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.”
0 A; j0 Y7 c6 }) ], r" G; W  K
  g. \3 k1 o* o$ [) i2 S; u8 k6 s天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
2 y0 l# {- M# r
( c9 ?+ x2 f4 L$ a" e10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

8 J9 Z" P8 V  wHe 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.
2 a2 R: Z/ h* H: m0 @/ c2 k* G
& }/ {  Z4 F4 y5 }; G11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

Tom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

" m$ u  m" w! s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.
3 c+ K* h. E) a: v# Y/ h+ ^
0 u: x+ w5 `' {+ h12. 天下没有不散的宴席。

$ m0 r0 w5 W' K9 t/ t- Z# \$ W! vAll good things must come to end.
3 V: O* Y) p# G4 |( u8 E
- d. T* q/ a; n& IAll feasts must come to an end.

1 O7 R8 }: ]# K+ \1 C  V( J& J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.
8 G; Y  p4 n8 Q) A3 t3 Y
0 O3 [& ~  o/ v* ~0 D% B13. 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.

5 A/ ?' Z* v) I5 r. |/ O' o扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.

14. 江山易改，本性难移。
% t# ^' y( v4 Y6 J
: r$ w3 p: j* W. V# |2 qA leopard can’t change its spots.
" L- z/ ^' E& Y7 o7 I% h6 `
6 l* r& R/ Q' z! r( z江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
: h, y  M4 w% H5 a
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
/ ^2 y. P$ b; h3 ]* G+ ]: Y2 v
A fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
: A3 v5 w9 R5 O% ~* 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。

* \# I5 m% H0 s1 ~. P- i- q/ ]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.
4 l: [, w* n$ Y: ]. y, ?
2 i3 [, ]. }: B4 o借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.
+ K4 O- f+ j7 g4 c" D
煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
3 J+ h0 B6 k; \$ v: X+ _/ A5 L
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
' ?  }7 Z1 i7 H0 I+ ?" }  v3 C
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.
: \/ d) e  L# X: m# G4 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。
+ n* r& K. Y% r7 z
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
# i) w4 N+ \9 f/ o$ d! C& V
19. 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.

- d7 v, H; X$ W2 q. \The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
4 m" Q: H! X3 F5 j
  }3 q* z. B( W7 v1 v, c扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
: i; }1 z/ a$ R8 H1 R) O$ A  q
7 d$ H: E: m6 O1 P- r3 p20. 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!
billzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗