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。
" ]% P9 b. E, r6 q. ]/ j1 Z4 H0 u
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
- N% _$ n# a* e, Q3 v
She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.
2 a6 X, [  P4 @: v0 j
8 {9 q; _5 h9 ^' G* H5 M动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
; ~9 a% u) Z( W. _+ T: r7 F5 \3 C
; ?6 c+ m) k" ^; Q/ X* Y# ]6 G& B% K动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily
- }! \% j1 q3 i
" y& k% c5 n0 E动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one’s temper; often get into a temper
; D& [9 `! t' y
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.
, }0 Y( o9 D- {& S, A) S
3 D- ?' H* A4 F刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart

7 |  [7 P9 u* k  v* v: \! q2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

4 D) F& Q( E9 |( x. Z' e% ~4 u$ THe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

6 R9 `9 l3 V8 M3 U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
  W2 a" x/ w  O4 K; ^5 e* w
3. 十年树木，百年树人。

: a- a8 h' C& I, D: Z7 j6 kIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
) m9 ~2 @# S  c; c( {
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.
$ `, L, f. m* ~) F. s
石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

4 y' n1 `4 l; i5 q0 `1 d6 I8 T5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
* s1 g, N: l9 g* _, g  |
9 ~) C% |! x0 i0 _( c: v' {8 v# l9 @The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
; a; Z, P8 h7 j: [7 |
7 E( B/ L" X, s& q  ?1 ^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.

# A* x- T+ W# S4 O" H3 v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.
) T4 b2 H+ d5 m! v5 V; c
6. 他搜肠刮肚，也找不出合适的字眼表达这个意思。
. _0 N; I8 Z4 h* B) X
9 G) P: L2 s5 v' o) w# THe racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.
% q& W4 S* a; ~& n( B# L4 i1 a
1 t) _+ [, d1 I1 n7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
* @* y: G  l7 d# h3 w
6 u/ ^: o7 X9 q# ^3 B" ?7 r4 P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。

) _, [3 Y% u- _; o4 o8 t( c: E' m! qIt’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.
& ~  J7 d; z+ C# ]* a
( b4 R, w* n9 A5 \! M  }& R" t名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
# r7 x5 e$ Q: K. ~& e) E
deserve the reputation one enjoys;

- D% n* V! l( C6 [live up to one’s reputation

% n) u& p2 O: M9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
; a& y: j# F0 @8 D& Y* B' m
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.”
6 |' S) o8 J6 Y
6 q7 {: W; O  ^" x0 H1 s0 f天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.

  P+ [- L5 v# p10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。
. i( C3 f! |8 H( n) K
) q" P  s7 l# z, Z6 d$ j5 e  u$ NHe 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.
8 U! p, [! A5 m, w: M# g) W2 v! y9 d
11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。

6 j% C8 o- Z; q9 o& O; ITom was enrolled as a student, but he was like the fisherman who fishes for three days and suns his net for two.

9 x1 U5 B3 V, R0 x; W( ?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。
: B3 ?$ D# y- k/ h0 R4 X! t
* y6 |0 E6 z* P! }0 q$ H3 g. [: ?4 SAll good things must come to end.
9 J: Y. ]- u- G' Z) I
# V. ^3 C+ [1 {& ^- K4 EAll 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.

) ], [' i; l% Y13. 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.

扩展：天网恢恢，疏而不漏：Justice has long arms.
5 `' Q. X9 Y4 \! a
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
- _. M# {$ Y! y
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。

  @+ E" O6 A5 uA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.
. T! Q2 X, g' [1 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。

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.
/ i& N$ q7 t! {6 Y8 h/ C) Y! U
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.
( C6 X- l* C; N7 [# O! `7 f
3 h: H/ o0 a" P+ M/ n$ i借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

$ K& k: |3 {8 E! v+ C) |, y煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
; C$ l* ?, R; Y2 B+ K8 L
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. |- Z) a' O& J3 e
哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

0 Y  A' F0 w, f* a1 k18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

& Y) z$ g3 j- {8 I4 B/ SHe has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.

胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
2 u' i* n$ D# J0 W/ U% \" }
19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
  O" v3 r9 T8 M$ Z* E/ X
6 n9 s- z8 r) P. i; ~- vThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for the great economic development/growth in China.
; \( G/ K5 F3 g# [* R5 Y
2 ~' J, w1 T3 R& ]. oThe Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.
6 J: c# S7 u( T7 h4 g) H
, h( i7 ], H( R' T5 @4 B3 r扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
. X: K7 ]6 S  H; t
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。
8 ~9 m8 |: p4 \1 P* w6 n
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

+ c/ q9 b% X( y$ l: {: J上周日中午你去大统华了吗