英语谚语的由来

主讲：陈如伟
The Monkeys' Ration朝三暮四
There was once a man who raised monkeys at home. In time, he understood the monkeys quite well. 从前有个人，在家饲养了一批 猴子。久而久之，他很了解猴子的感情。 The man was not rich and often had to cut down his household expenses to feed the monkeys. When times turned rough, he had to reduce the monkeys'feed as well. 养猴人并不富有，常常要节衣缩食去喂饱猴 子。不过，当境况变得更坏时，他只好减少猴子的食粮。 The man was afraid that the monkeys would not remain tame. To test their response, he told the monkeys, "Fro, now on, I'll give each of you three chestnuts in the morning and four at night. Is that all right with you?" 养猴人生怕猴子会因此而变得不听话，便用试探它们 的口气说：「从今天起，我每天早上给你们三颗栗子，晚上再给 四颗，好吗？」
Losers are always in the wrong. 胜者为王，败者为寇。 Lost time is never found again. 岁月既往，一去不回。 Love at first sight. 一见钟情。 Love cannot be compelled. 爱情不能强求。 Love is blind. 爱情是盲目的。 Love is full of trouble. 爱情充满烦恼。 Love is never without jealousy. 没有妒忌就没有爱情。 Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌。 Make hay while the sun shines. 良机勿失。 Make your enemy your friend. 化敌为友。 Man is the soul of the universe.人是万物之灵。
Wall has ears. 隔墙有耳。
二、起源于寓言、民间传说和民间故 事的英语谚语
The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes. 朋友间的不和，就是敌人进攻的机会。(出自伊索寓言 《一头狮子和三头牛》) Haste makes waste. 欲速则不达。(出自伊索寓言《口渴 的鸽子》，是从Great haste is not always great speed 演变而来的。) Fine feathers make fine birds. 人靠衣装马靠鞍。(出自伊 索寓言《孔雀和仙鹤》，是从Fine feathers don’t make fine birds演变来的, 但在演变的过程中把原来的意思完 全颠倒了。)
One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy. 一个和尚挑 水喝，两个和尚抬水喝，三个和尚没水喝。
Like author, like book. 文如其人。 Like father, like son. 有其父必有其子。 Like for like. 一报还一报。 Like knows like. 惺惺相惜。 Like mother, like daughter. 有其母必有 其女。 Like teacher, like pupil. 什么样的老师教什么样的学生。 Like tree, like fruit. 羊毛出在羊身上。 Little things amuse little minds. 小人无大志。 Look before you leap. 摸清情况再行动。 Lookers-on see more than players. 当局者迷，旁观者清。
Send a wise man on an errand, and say nothing to him. 智者当差，不用交代。 Set a thief to catch a thief. 以贼捉贼。 Short accounts make long friends. 好朋友勤算账。 Something is better than nothing. 聊胜于无。 Soon learn, soon forgotten. 学得快，忘得快。 Soon ripe, soon rotten. 熟得快，烂得快。 Speech is silver, silence is gold. 能言是银，沉默是金。 Plain dealing is praised more than practiced. 正大光明者，说到的多，做到的少。 Please the eye and plague the heart. 贪图一时快活，必然留下隐祸。 Pleasure comes through toil. 苦尽甘来。 Proverbs are the daughters of daily experience. 谚语是日常经验的结晶。 Pull the chestnut out of fire. 火中取栗。 Put the cart before the horse. 本末倒置。 Put your shoulder to the wheel. 鼎力相助。 Reading enriches the mind. 开卷有益。 Reading is to the mind while exercise to the body. 读书健脑，运动强身。 Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you. 要人尊敬，必须自重。 Rome is not built in a day. 冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。 Saying is one thing and doing another. 言行不一。 Seeing is believing. 眼见为实。
七、起源于生活风俗和劳作习惯的英 语谚语
Hunger is the best sauce. 饥者口中尽佳肴。 (饥饿是最好 的调味汁。) Half a loaf is better than none. 聊胜于无。 (半个面 包总比没有好。)
Praise is not pudding. 恭维不是布丁。(空头表扬不 实惠。/恭维话不能当饭吃。)
三、起源于名人名句和名著的英语谚 语
It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. 骆驼负载过重时，最后一根稻草也会压断其脊梁。这则 谚语最早出现在英国作家狄更斯的《董贝父子》中，他 写过“as the last straw breaks the laden camel’s back”这 样的语句。人们后来往往用短语the last straw表示 “使人无法承受的最后一击”或是“最终导致失败的因 素”等含义, 一直流传至今，成为家喻户晓的谚语。
Promises are like piecrust, made to be broken. 诺言 不可信。(诺言好似馅饼皮，做来便是为咬碎。) Ale will make cat speak. 酒后话多。(喝了淡啤酒, 猫 也会开口。)
Biblioteka Baidu
谚语句子
。 All good things come to an end. 天下没有不散的筵席。 All rivers run into sea. 海纳百川。 All roads lead to Rome. 条条大路通罗马。 All that ends well is well. 结果好，就一切都好。 All that glitters is not gold. 闪光的不一定都是金子。 All things are difficult before they are easy. 凡事总是由难而易。 All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. 只会用功不玩耍，聪明孩子也变 傻。 A man becomes learned by asking questions. 不耻下问才能有学问。 A man can do no more than he can. 凡事都应量力而行。
四、来自外来语的英语谚语
put the cart before the horse: 本末倒臵，颠倒次序。直译是“把车放在马前”。这则 谚语可以追溯到古罗马时代的一句拉丁文谚语，该谚语 是以犁和牛作比。公元前61年古罗马政治家、演说家和 哲学家西塞罗曾在其作品里用过此语。1279年这一谚语 首次被译为英语。
主讲：白帆
一、起源于警句、格言的英语谚语 二、起源于寓言、民间传说和民间故事的英语谚 语
三、起源于名人名句和名著的英语谚语
四、来自外来语的英语谚语 五、起源于宗教信仰和宗教故事的英语谚语 六、起源于历史故事的英语谚语 七、起源于生活风俗和劳作习惯的英语谚语
一、起源于警句、格言的英语谚语
A friend in need is a friend indeed. 患难朋友才是真朋友。 Business before pleasure. 工作在先，享乐在后。 Tomorrow comes never. 明日不再来。 Speech is silver, silence is gold. 雄辩是银，沉默是金。 在英语中，往往可以见到汉语谚语相似的，起源于警句、 格言的谚语。
六、起源于历史故事的英语谚语
change horse in midstream 临阵换将。源自1864年林肯 (Abraham Lincoln,1809?865)的一次讲话。时值美国南北 战争，许多共和党人对这位总统在战争中的表现并不太 满意，但他们最后还是再次选定他为总统候选人，因为 他们深知中流换马并非上策(...it is not best to swap horses while crossing the river)。林肯的用语引自一句古 老的谚语：Don’t swap horses while crossing a stream， 比喻“在紧要关头另选领导人”。后来此语缩略演变为 change horses in midstream。但林肯赋之以新的含义。
When the monkeys learned that their ration was to be reduced, they flew into a rage. Seeing how mad the monkeys were, the man corrected himself at once. 猴子一听到养猴人 要减少它们的食粮，都非常生气。 "All right," he told them, "I'll give you four chestnuts in the morning and three at night then." 於是，养猴人马上改口说：「那么，改为早上给四 颗，晚上再给三颗。」 This satisfied the monkeys, and they all jumped for joy. 猴子就感到满意，欢欣鼓舞起来。
五、起源于宗教信仰和宗教故事的英 语谚语
英国人大多为基督教徒，所以很多英语谚语与其宗教 有关。如： God’s mill grinds slow but sure. 天网恢恢,疏而不漏。 It is good to have some friends both in heaven and hell. 天堂和地狱都有朋友是好事。 之。 God helps those who help them selves. 自助者天助