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。
2 u8 @' h" h# C1 t5 g8 u
* n: q2 c3 d: u% K! MShe always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

! e; d$ x' G% k/ D2 I5 G0 DShe always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.

动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn

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
8 N8 |! G  q' G# l2 v) T
他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.

5 t% J' @# j3 {: p刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart
% G( W! s2 x0 Z& _
% A# Z% X; @) V) |8 I  q/ ^- Y2. 他是不到黄河不死心。
2 }! m; c, U) T, S
# v) B! w' m/ B4 z# D: T4 R! OHe wouldn’t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.

. z6 S0 x' J+ k9 A! r7 g- }, x3 p) z3 }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
  {# R9 y- k4 t
3. 十年树木，百年树人。
6 J7 f$ f0 Q  F+ d5 N
1 q7 V$ ^* o" X  RIt takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.
! _  a$ p4 h& F% _: ?
/ R9 t, H1 W: y2 C7 G# g+ E4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。
; R6 q. C2 I  K( S* d! F
% V: b' V& R: Q3 ?, g$ ]0 B3 zHe left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.

* o3 [2 D* X% B, k0 v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。
& _/ [# n% w9 h! Y" R# w4 V
/ t9 u) q+ s, u, s2 LThe only way to stop people from knowing it is not to do it.
5 O+ }) u8 v! f8 S2 p4 V* A' |9 ]
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.
8 C5 M! K6 o5 ^+ L8 Q& h
: J) c3 g  s# m' c. I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。
6 B, `$ _; H! V) u' T# Y
He racked his brains but couldn’t find words suitable for the idea.

7. 这完全是张冠李戴。
) G) O& r7 Y& a: `
This is putting Mr. Zhang’s hat on Mr. Li’s head.
( {; F* G" y% _& a% C
张冠李戴: Put Zhang’s hat on Li’s head--- attribute sth. to the wrong person or confuse one thing with another.
/ g: r* j# g; a7 x! K7 G1 U1 ]7 O
8. 味道真不错，果然是名不虚传。

It’d delicious, really lives up to its reputation.

0 B, ?+ s3 i( t% i# n, ^$ s名不虚传: have a well-deserved reputation;

$ I' P0 I7 x. Z- ~9 O- ddeserve the reputation one enjoys;

* ~3 @$ t' C' y! plive up to one’s reputation
: @0 h: t( A( n# _/ F2 ?- u
4 r: H6 r  ^: \7 h9. 父亲说，“事已至此，不必难过，好在天无绝人之路。”
- Q9 @% G3 @0 D& C7 I! @1 ~
" J* y2 b$ [0 e' nMy 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.”

1 _1 U+ C4 Q+ e. _天无绝人之路: Heaven never seals off all the exits—there is always a way out.
( X* J3 v# W& h3 b) E% K. `$ g- Z
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’.”
: U; s. q9 ^9 E+ w) {% b8 R
画饼充饥: draw cakes to allay hunger--- feed on illusions.

11. 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.
; t- P7 E. b+ |$ H* m7 w2 r) i
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.
6 |' @/ v, {$ m  }
. f3 j4 z" f1 ~% L- X12. 天下没有不散的宴席。
5 ?3 B( b* N$ K2 s+ }; K) w( L/ I
All good things must come to end.

All feasts must come to an end.

( O8 d& Q) L, U" r+ d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.
, K  Y  a4 I. G5 V. W. [
13. 有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行。
$ _# r, C. G- T. ?
7 i6 N% n9 e7 XWith 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 n0 c. U6 q1 F2 H0 S0 Y
14. 江山易改，本性难移。

A leopard can’t change its spots.
$ D7 M) y6 @2 m% {
1 m+ i0 ], Z, @; e  o. 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.
: j5 v! `# U( a
8 j( @( M# H5 F- S' `: m: W8 o15. 吃一堑，长一智。
: Q- E$ E8 d  P: Z
A 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。
/ F& a( N/ w, ]. R8 g. u4 x
. k$ A% ?, C$ G8 @. dTalk 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.

+ I5 T) c" H% S3 C% z: t4 v/ 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.

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

" k6 G2 t# b7 U3 g0 d0 m7 u" S煽风点火:fan the flames; inflame and agitate people; stir up trouble

3 u% z- ]1 b  U* h. K17. 我在当时真的是哭笑不得。
$ n" j6 k9 O; }  F
% z# k; c( ?  XI felt at a loss to know that to do at that moment/time.

1 w& a* O$ m' z% Z) z+ P' \3 l3 P哭笑不得: not know whether to laugh or to cry; find sth both funny and annoying
, O) T( `9 l- ^9 h
18. 对于此事他胸有成竹。
- _) Z' E. W' q/ Z: \2 X
He has had a well-thought-out plan before doing it.
2 ]2 g: ?5 ]$ k+ z  R
胸有成竹: have a well-thought-out plan, stratagem, etc
+ |1 j1 ~  j" a; K
3 G" [% F, P, m/ @& n; M19. 中国经济取得巨大发展，中国人民终于扬眉吐气了。
1 ]1 P1 }+ Z7 A+ l/ h! i5 |
/ R* g8 |* @2 u  O/ \9 _The 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.

扬眉吐气: feel proud and elated
0 q' H* i" w  t/ O) ^7 P
- P' ]; ]5 E- c' P/ E$ e- h20. 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。
0 {- }3 l! h! z1 @) ~4 v5 I: l
He used his influential friends to help him to get into the civil service by/through the back door.

billzhao

Great!

redrunner

Great!
5 J, g' z0 r2 P9 V1 Xbillzhao 发表于 2009-5-23 11:26

上周日中午你去大统华了吗