中国惯用语、俗语英译

Toyger

N


南腔北调：speak with a mixture of accents
南水北调：south-to-north water diversion
难得糊涂：Where ignorance is bliss,it's folly to be wise.
难兄难弟：two of a kind / birds of a feather
闹别扭：have a little squabble
闹不出什么名堂：unable to get anywhere
闹情绪：be disgruntled / be in a fit of pique
内行：old hand / expert / people who know the ropes
能官能民：ready to serve as an official and be one of the common folks
年轻化、知识化、专业化：younger in average age,better educated and professionally more competent
宁为鸡口，毋为牛后：better to reign in hell than serve in heaven
牛郎织女：husband and wife living apart
扭亏为盈：turn a loss-making enterprise into a profitable one
弄假成真：fulfil what was promised as a joke
弄巧成拙：too smart by half / go for wool and come home shorn

Toyger

O

呕心沥血：spare no pains
偶像：idol
藕断丝连：Two lovers may be forced to part, but their affection remains.

Toyger

P

排斥竞争：spurn competition
攀登新的高峰：scale new height
盘活寸量资产：liquidize remnant assets
跑龙套：utility man / errand boy
培育新的经济增长点：support new sectors of economic growth
配套改革：supporting reforms
配套资金：counterpart funds / local funging of
片面追求发展速度：excessive pursuit of growth
片面追求数量：go after quantity alone
捧上台：thrust into power
捧上天：laud someone to the sky
碰钉子：get snubbed / get into trouble / get the cheese
皮包公司：bogus company / flying-by-night company
辟谣：squash a rumor
贫富悬殊：polarization of rich and poor
瓶颈制约：bottleneck restrictions

Toyger

Q


七拼八凑：knock something together
七十二行：all sorts of occupations
妻管严：a henpecked
其身正，不令而行：If the ruler acts properly,the folks would obey him without being ordered to.
旗开得胜：start off with a bang
前世不忘，后事之师：Past experience,if not forgotten,is a guide for the future.
强龙难压地头蛇：Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.
强强联手：win-win cooperation
强制性普及方案：universally compulsory program
敲竹杠：make one squeal / rob by a trick
侨胞：overseas country fellowmen
窍门：get the hang of
翘尾因素：carryover effect
切中要害：hit home
亲如手足：kindred like brothers
轻诺寡信：Easy promise, less credibility.
倾斜政策：preferential policy / policy in favor of
请放心：Please rest assured.
求同存异：seek common grounds while reserving differences
求真务实：be pragmatic

Toyger

区别对待：be dealt with on the merits of each case
取之于民，用之于民：from the people, for the people
权衡利弊：weigh pros and cons
权力下放：decentralization / delegate power to
全方位开放格局：pattern of all-round opening up
全力以赴：spare no efforts / go all out
全面落实：all-round implementation / carry out in an all-round way
拳头产品：core product / knock-out product / blockbuster
缺乏后劲：unsustainable momentum

Toyger

R


让利：surrender part of the profits
让人恶心：It just made me sick.
热情洋溢：heart-warming
热心公益：public-good-minded
人才流失：brain drain
人而无信，不如其可也：How can one be acceptable without being trustworthy in words?
人逢喜事精神爽：Joy puts heart into a man.
人贵有自知之明：Selfknowledge is wisdom.
人尽其材：make the best possible use of human resourses
人民生活水平：quality of life / the living standards
人情世故：worldly wisdom
人情味：human touch
人情债：debt of gratitude
人人为我，我为人人：All for one and one for all.
人生何处不相逢：Friends may meet but mountains never greet.
人无远虑，必有近忧：Worries will soon come if one gives no thought to a long-term plan.
人心所向，大势所趋：accord with public will and the general trend of events
仁至义尽：ecercise great restraint and do one's very best
认真执行：conscientiously carry out
任人唯亲：appoint people by favoritism
任人唯贤：appoint people on their merits
入世：accession into the WTO
软环境：intangible infrastructure

Toyger

S



三八红旗手：woman pacesetter
三步走战略：three-step development strategy
三个和尚没水吃：Everybody's business is nobody's business.
三角债：chain debts
三句话不离本行：talk shop all the time
三来一补：compensation trade and three forms of OEM
三十年河东，三十年河西：Fortune rotates.
三资企业：three forms of foreign-invested enterprises
《三字经》：Three-Character Primer
杀手锏：one's trump card
山中无老虎，猴子称大王：Among the blind, the one-eyed is the king.
“打黄打非”斗争：fight against pornography,illegal publications and piracy
善有善报：One good turn deserves another.
商业炒作：commercial speculation
上梁不正下梁歪：Fish begins to stink at the head.
上有政策，下有对策：beat the system
身在福中不知福：take one's happy life for granted
深层次矛盾：deep-rooted structural imbalance
深化改革：intensify reform
深入浅出：explain the profound in simple terms
深入实际：keep one's feet firmly on the ground

Toyger

审时度势：size up the trend of events
生搬硬套：copy and apply mechanically
生活待遇：benefit one receives
生存权和发展权：rights to subsistence and development
生态旅游：eco-tourism
生意兴隆。财源茂盛：thriving business and rolling money
盛会：grand gathering / grand event
盛情款待：give hearty hospitality
盛情难却：It would be ungracious not to accept somebody's kindness.
失足青年：a juvenile delinquent / a misguided youngster
十分佩服：hold somebody in high esteem
实事求是：seek truth from facts/be realistic/in a down-to-earth manner
实现小康目标：achieve the goal of ensuring our people a relatively comfortable life
实现中华民族的伟大复兴：bring about a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation
实行国民待遇：grant the national treatment to
使中国经济走向世界：make China's economy more competitive on the world market/ make China a more active economic player in the world

Toyger

世上无难事，只要肯攀登：Where there is a will, there is a way.
事半功倍：get better result with less effort
事倍功半：do more with by doing less/get half the result with twice effort
事实胜于雄辩：Facts speak louder than words.
事物总是一分为二的：Everything has two sides.
势利眼：snobbish
适度超前：moderate oversupply/leave room for maneuver/in advance
适度从紧：moderately tight
适度规模：optimum scale
适销对路的产品：the right products/readily marketable products
逝者已矣，来者可追：What's gone is gone,let's face the future.
收拾烂摊子：pick up the pieces
手中有粮，心里不慌：Food in hand, ease in mind.
守约，保质，薄利，重义：honor contract,guarantee quality,get moderate profit and value obligations
首创精神：initiative/pioneering spilit/innovative
受到良心的谴责：get one's conscience smitten
甩卖：clearance sale
恕不奉陪：Excuse me for not keeping your company.
恕不远送：Excuse me for not accompanying you farther.

Toyger

双喜临门：Double blessing descends upon the house./Two happy events comeat the same time.
水货：smuggled goods
水土不服：unaccustomed to climate in a new place
顺其自然：leave things to chance
说别人的坏话：badnmouth somebody
说不过去：can't be justified
说大话：brag/boast/talk big
说话算数：say all this in good faith/mean what one says
说露嘴：make a slip of tongue
说三道四：make irresponsible remarks
说一套，做一套：talk the talk and walk the walk
四不像：a hodge-podge of something
随缘：leave things to chance