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。
8 K% R8 ]# T( n
She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

& e: f" H7 I. d) q1 z5 QShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn
) n) @$ M$ [7 x+ ^0 N" J
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.

" m2 U/ N& z) `/ @% v0 V8 l# u刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
+ z) g5 `6 |0 Q6 m. m4 C
/ L* ~4 `8 o- S, A2 ^: R2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
. U) B9 c) a5 ]. x+ Q7 ]
8 `3 c. U. {% |8 l- U; d( iHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.
4 G+ @% [, W* Q0 u$ B& O" H
5 ]: P6 I$ E: {7 @2 @6 _' C  M不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one’s goal;
8 @5 z- q$ R2 y' Y- W! r
refuse to give up until all hope is gone

. x! g- U; g8 ?  w' c; Z$ a3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
% A" s6 R1 b5 x) P3 a) G
- I* j$ R4 `, V4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
7 t/ D$ Y# s, p' f: G8 L4 y: m3 T
1 p* @% W" P% t8 a8 {% ~$ qHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

* r8 m3 ]2 W8 g) ?, A石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.

. v3 u9 k1 ]2 m# X5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。
, S$ y- Z+ q: K! G$ d( Z
The only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
# G- s  o+ X; I4 b( Z
) J$ U9 d* e6 C! D8 lThe only way to stop people from knowing it is to restrain from doing it.
. K( m$ A5 o& h! x  _
) W  y0 \9 E, f6 [If you haven’t done it, other people wouldn’t know it.

9 y$ _: R. R7 i) ^/ Z' V. h5 C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.

) K: j& r' c7 x2 K6. 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.
) N* q1 R* l# q7 G
' q8 _6 [" x. u5 W0 D0 s" J$ [* E7. 这完全是张冠李戴。

This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
7 B% t# @1 l% q: X
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
5 y0 X. M# h. b3 |1 s
2 A# R; s4 _% I3 C8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。
9 m8 i' @* V" d$ p
It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;
+ w/ r, Z( d+ I5 \) Y# j
: \# w( t3 K3 Q3 N) Z4 y) odeserve the reputation one enjoys;
5 F2 [2 l1 Z2 {# B
  m/ O1 p. t. x6 a1 Ilive up to one’s reputation
! S! M: S: A" {: y
9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
5 W2 M2 u, i7 w3 i
9 N5 |5 u+ d" _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.

10. 他咯咯的笑着说，“这叫做画饼充饥”。

He giggled/chuckled and said, “This is called ‘ drawing a cake to satisfy one’s hunger’.”
# R) X* i+ z. }( b' L& _
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.
4 N# |9 `& R$ I; q2 e: {6 E
, M+ I( S# u  z11. 汤姆也来上学，不过是三天打鱼，两天晒网。
; ^) N1 \% J  y1 O1 ^3 V4 r
Tom 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.

2 f# @2 E1 m# \12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
+ o' P7 X; b# z, C/ _0 {
All good things must come to end.
( g" w* r# q9 D  M/ T( v
All feasts must come to an end.
" L. i6 j6 F: p0 F) d4 t5 i/ \
4 A, P1 w. [, k8 j; u+ ~* f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 O9 G$ V  J" E1 W9 b+ |: M
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
( Y8 }- q& p+ F, D  L3 @8 z! D
1 L% V5 d& c2 m6 r1 t9 X: i7 c6 ?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.
  f6 [' ^$ v  e% S5 l" l
& R6 g. A. {' l* a14. 江山易改，本性难移。
  r% W$ G) c- F( \' y
. m% Q4 ]8 ~) r' Z- ?A leopard can’t change its spots.
  }3 _& e9 \$ U/ v6 f+ k" v
江山易改，本性难移: It’s easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person’s nature.
  a' m: B# }* @. o+ g/ i# ?
15. 吃一堑，长一智。
3 q1 X1 y+ z8 X, e) }7 b9 N
" @1 y: l3 N) q$ UA fall in/into the pit; a gain in your wit.

$ L- z* N+ M8 f% w8 E: m8 b" G* U$ f16. “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。

+ T9 o/ z1 X/ [& WTalk 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.

; ^/ [/ o, W) h0 O9 R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.

借刀杀人: kill somebody by another’s hand; make use of one person to get rid of another.

& N" m; V4 Y4 r: m& u: G; v; ]煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble
2 O$ N) a" c" f3 \% O
17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
  |3 f$ ?2 {5 Y  v
I felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

  h4 g* f) [9 b+ I( W0 R5 u哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying

8 Y' x5 ]5 k9 r! ~' ~18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。

He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
  H0 ?' Z- z( T' s1 T/ f
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc

$ J7 ~# c8 `. I, h# u# t: {7 k19. 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.

  s& L1 z/ U, L! s9 \! `The Chinese people feel proud and elated for China’s great economic development/growth.

& n! ~4 v# y% D9 O6 O扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
' y/ i! w( v& E+ B
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。

9 i# V, j1 q" q  I0 m% b- _He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
) L& z6 k, G$ b; x2 |  Tbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗