学点英文谚语_了解西方文化

学点英文谚语了解西方文化
为了学好英语，特别是为了提高英语写作和翻译水平，了解和熟悉一些英文谚语和格言十分必要。

这些谚语源远流长，反映了前人在生活实践中所积累的经验和教训，既富有知识性和哲理性，又形象生动、通俗易懂。

由于谚语大多韵律和谐，读来朗朗上口，听来印象深刻，所以比较容易记忆。

如果再与我国相应的谚语和成语加以比较，就更易于人们全面掌握、正确使用。

我们将分几次陆续介绍一些常用的英文谚语，并提供必要的解释和例句，供读者学习、鉴赏。

(1)A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
孔子云：四十而不惑。

又云：年四十而见恶焉，其终也已。

(The person who at the age of forty still evokes the dislikes of others is a hopeless case.) 西谚谈的也是这个意思，只不过换了一种说法：到了四十岁还不懂得生活的人，就真的是一个愚人。

正如另一句西谚所说，Life begins at forty. 由此看来，四十岁是不惑之年，是一个人领悟生活真谛的开始，在这一点上，无论是东方抑或是西方，都有着共鸣。

. John never lived up to the expectations of his family. Twenty years after college, he has accomplished nothing. Which reminds us of the proverb, "A fool at forty is a fool indeed!"
(2)Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
这句话很有意思，字面意思为：“ 住在玻璃房子里的人不应该向他人扔石块。

” 因为当别人以同样的方式回击时，他就会损失惨重。

孔子有相似的论断，但境界更高：“己所不欲，勿施于人”。

在西方，《圣经》中也有类似的警句。

. Washington likes to accuse other governments of violating human rights. However, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Why not try, instead，to eliminate the numerous human rights violations in the United States?
Man proposes，God disposes。

这个说法最早见于14世纪，起初以“If man proposes evil，God disposes of it。

” 的形式出现，意思是上帝会阻止想要为恶的人。

这里的God，既可以指上帝，又可以指天意。

就像我们常说的“尽人事，听天命”、“谋事在人，成事在天”一样，尽力而为之后，还要顺从自然的规律。

毕竟，人类是自然的一部分，凡事皆不可强求，与自然的和谐是人类的生存之本。

e。

g。

A: Bob，how about tomorrow’s driving test？Sure to pass，huh？B: I don’t know。

I’ve done enough，I’d say。

Anyway，man proposes，God disposes。

I am praying for good luck。

It is a sin to steal a pin。

该句的字面意思是：即使是偷一根针也是一种罪过。

还记得那句古训吗？“勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为。

”冀望之切，溢于言表。

不要因为犯的是小错就可以听之任之。

e。

g。

Honesty is the best policy。

Never covet what is not yours，for it is a sin to steal a pin。

If you play with fire，you get burnt。

正如西方谚语所说：Fire is a good servant but a bad master。

火在人们的掌控之下时是人类股掌之上的可爱精灵：篝火给人温暖，烟花处处讨人欢心。

可是一旦它的力量过大，就凌驾于人类之上，再不受人的掌握。

权力亦是如此，当它逐渐膨胀不可收拾时，就成为一个暴戾的君王，统治人们的言行。

所谓“玩火者必自焚”，铤而走险的盲目举动会招致无穷祸患。

e。

g。

The abuse of power has sent many people into jail，which shows that playing with fire could get you burnt。

Revenge is a dish that could be eaten cold。

很形象的一句谚语。

所有的菜肴都必须趁热吃，唯独revenge是个例外。

“君子报仇，十年未晚。

”
e。

g。

He has done serious wrong to his friends。

You just wait and see。

They will not let him go scot-free。

Revenge is a dish that could be eaten cold。

There is no smoke without fire。

无风不起浪，有水才行船。

任何事情的发生都是有前兆的，“流言”的兴起有时也不完全是无中生有。

虽然说是“坐得船头稳，不怕浪来颠”（相似的西谚是“Do right and fear no man。

”），但风起于青萍之末，一只蝴蝶扇动翅膀就可能引起大洋彼岸的一场大风暴。

做人、谋事，谨慎为佳。

e。

g。

"No smoke without fire，" said the detective。

"Smoke signals can be misread，" countered Sloan。

Every dog has its day。

这里的day，是指opportunities，即成功的机会；而dog 则泛指那些地位低下、似乎没有出息的人。

“士别三日，当刮目相看”，落魄的人若发奋图强，总会有出头之日。

（又作All dogs have their days。

）
e。

g。

You must not look down upon him。

Though poor and gloomy。

he could turn out to be outstanding one day。

As the saying goes，every dog has its day。

If you lie down with dogs，you will get up with fleas。

这是一句很经典的谚语，也就是我们中文里说的“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”。

在这条英文谚语中体现出来的只是“近墨者黑”的一面。

虽然中文里还有成语“出污泥而不染”一说，但环境对于人的影响仍然不可小觑。

e。

g。

-Harry! How come you’re back so late? Where’ve you been?
-Just to a friend’s。

-To a f riend’s? Just for a glass of liquor，huh? You’re going to be drowned in liquor，I’d say! If you lie down with dogs，you’ll get up to find yourself with millions of fleas!
It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog。

人非圣贤，孰能无过。

人们总会犯一些错误，也许做者无心但观者有意。

有些小人，自己抱残守缺，不干实事，却挖空心思，找别人的缺点和麻烦。

欲加之罪，何患无辞？
e。

g。

-Did you know that Jeff’s been fired?
-No。

What for?
-Jeff sometimes had ideas different from our boss’s。

-Yeah，but Jeff hasn’t done anything wrong，has he?
-Well，boss is boss。

It is always easy to find a stick to beat a dog。

You can’t teach old dogs new tricks。

这句谚语说的是：人老了思想容易僵化，对新生事物很难接受。

e。

g。

Don’t forget Wang is already 80。

At his age，you can’t expect him to learn the tap dance。

You can’t teach old dogs new tricks，you know。

从以上的几则谚语我们可以观察到中西文化的一个有趣的区别。

西方人经常用狗来比喻人，如，lucky dog（幸运儿），因为他们并不歧视狗。

而在汉语中，有不少涉及狗的谚语和成语都是贬义的，如“狗改不了吃屎”、“挂羊头卖狗肉”、“狗仗人势”、“狗嘴里吐不出象牙”等。

当然，英文中dog一词有时也带有贬义，但往往含义与中文不尽相同，我们使用时切忌望文生义。

如，It is a dog’s life Chris is leading。

某位教授认为“a dog’s life”的意思是“悲惨的生活”，因而在一篇论及中英文化差别的文章中将其译成“过着牛马不如的生活”。

其实“a dog’s life”指的是“争吵不休，过着不安宁的日子”。

这类成语很多，如go to the dogs（每况愈下），dog-eat-dog（狗咬狗的，损人利己的），dog in the manger（占着茅坑不拉屎的人）。

还有一些没有任何褒贬涵义的用法，如dog days（大热天），doggy bag（餐馆里的打包袋），据说，早先人们碍于面子，不愿明说要把剩菜带回家吃，佯称要带给狗吃，所以叫doggy bag。

上面四条西方谚语都可以在汉语中找到相似的表达，但下面两条却全然不同了。

Lightning never strikes the same place twice。

“闪电从不打同一个地方”，与我们说的“福无双至，祸不单行”恰恰相反，这也是差异的一个有趣的体现。

e。

g。

-How were your exams? All over?
-I really don’t know。

I did rather poorly last time。

I hope I’ll do better this time。

-Come on，don’t worry about it。

You are sure to pass。

As the saying goes，lightening never strikes the same place twice。

One swallow does not make a summer。

swallow 是燕子。

西谚说，一只燕子飞来不能代表夏天的来临。

而中国成语却说，一叶知秋。

两种说法各有其智慧。

“One swallow does not make a summer”强调的是
要区别一般性与特殊性的辩证哲理；而“一叶知秋”体现的则是从细微的端倪窥见总体趋势的睿智。

e。

g。

-Hey，look! The scores are already 2:1！Liverpool is sure to win，I bet!
-I don’t think so。

One swallow does not make a summer。

Miracles always happen the last minute。

It takes two to make a quarrel.
俗话说，一个巴掌拍不响，两个巴掌叮当。

人们在工作和生活中，总会遇到不讲理或与自己意见不同的人，为了搞好团结，还是“以和为贵”为好，而“团队精神”这个近年点击率一路飙升的词也成为企业选拔人才最看重的品质之一。

吵架尚且需要两个人，何况要解决工作中的难题？当然，原则问题是不能妥协的。

. Since there is no principle involved, my advice to you is: no matter how harsh his words, don’t let him ruffle you. Remember, it takes two to make a quarrel.
Murder will out.
纸包不住火，这是常用的一句谚语。

犯罪分子总有一种侥幸心理，总以为自己办事很诡秘，万无一失。

实际上，任何罪行都会留下蛛丝马迹，总有一天会落入办案人员的手中。

法网恢恢，疏而不漏。

若要人不知，除非己莫为。

. "Murder will out," says the professor. "Just read the papers and you will know many drug dealers and car thieves have been apprehended this month."
An army marches on its stomach.
拿破仑（Napoleon）和弗雷德雷克大帝（Frederick the Great）都说过这句话。

正所谓“兵马未动，粮草先行”。

所谓“士气”云云，没有军饷的按时供给，一切都是妄谈。

衣食足方能知荣辱，将军们不能奢望士兵空着肚子以一当十。

这虽然现实得有些世俗，但却广泛适用于社会生活的各个方面。

. When the enemy attacked our city, they were defeated because they found themselves short on military supplies. This is a case of forgetting that "the army marches on its stomach." In fact, the same principle holds true in business, too.
There is many a slip between cup and lip.
我国有不少类似的谚语，如天有不测风云，煑熟的鸭子也能飞走。

未来充满变数谁能预见到这次东南亚的海啸竟然有如此巨大的破坏力？无论是个人还是国家，谁都无法百分之百地确定自己的前程。

Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. 理想和现实不仅有差距，有时差距还很大。

. Never be too sure of yourself. So far, you have been very successful in your business. But who knows how the stock market is going to turn out. There is many a slip between cup and lip.
The pot calls the kettle black.
两个同是在炉子上烧得黑黑的锅和壶，都指责对方黑乎乎的不像样，其实两人半斤八两，彼此彼此，谁也不比谁强。

只看到对方的缺点，而忽略本身的毛病，这好像是人们的通病。

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others. 在指责别人之前，最好先对镜自照。

. John, like a pot which can only see the black on the kettles, always
mocks the mistakes in his classmate’s composition. However, he has made many mistakes himself, sometimes more serious than others’ mistakes.
Live and learn.
活到老，学到老。

学无止境，不仅要从书本中学，还要从生活中学。

孔老夫子云，“三人行必有我师，择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。

”又云，“后生可畏，焉知来者之不如今也？”在知识爆炸的今天，更需要终生学习。

. Many of the great scholars and artists are our examples. They never stopped exploring and trying out new ideas. They bear out the truth of the motto: live and learn.
There is a black sheep in every flock.
所举动物不同，而含意与中文的害群之马完全一致。

俗话说一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥，也是同样的意思。

现在英语中“a black sheep”已经成了害群之马的代名词。

. There are many bright and friendly students in our class, yet John fails in exams and is always picking a fight with his fellow students. As the saying goes, there is a black sheep in every flock.
Too many cooks spoils the broth.
与中谚多个香炉多个鬼类似。

有时，众人拾材火焰高是由于同心协力。

有时，却是人多难办事。

厨师的点子多，每人都有自己的绝招，混在一起，做出的汤反而不伦不类。

. How disappointing for our department! John and Stephen are both great scientists, yet they have too many different ideas as to how to go ahead with the experiment. As a result, the laboratory made no new discoveries this year. Too many cooks spoils the broth.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
中文有劳逸结合的说法。

一位伟人告诫我们，不懂得休息的人也不懂得工作。

关于这条真理，各个民族都有类似的谚语。

. I have found almost all the great scientists have some hobby, be it music, painting or sports. There is a great wisdom in the saying, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
滚石不长青苔，持续的改变会使人疲于应付环境带来的变化，从而最终一事无成。

对于年轻人来说，一时找不准自己的位置是正常的，但过于频繁的跳槽和工作领域的无休止转换会使人疲于奔命，难有作为。

. Rumors, unlike the rolling stones in the proverb, gathers a good deal of moss on its path. A "stick" from the mouth of the first man may swell into a giant tree before traveling for too long.
学点英文谚语了解西方文化(9)
(17) If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
这是一句很经典的谚语，也就是我们中文里说的“近朱者赤，近墨者黑”。

在这条英文谚语中体现出来的只是“近墨者黑”的一面。

虽然中文里还有成语“出污泥而不染”一说，但环境对于人的影响仍然不可小觑。

. Harry! How come you're back so late? Where have you been?
一Just to a friend's.
一 To a friend. Just for a glass of liquor, huh? You're going to be drowned in 1iquor. I'd say! If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up to End yourself with millions of fleas!
(18) It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog-
人非圣贤，孰能无过。

人们总会犯一些错误，也许做者无心但观者有意。

有些小人，自己抱残守缺，不干实事，却挖空心思，找别人的缺点和麻烦。

欲加之罪，何患无辞？
. 一 Did you know that Jeff's been fired?
-No. What for?
-Jeff sometimes had ideas different from our boss's.
-Yeah, but Jeff hasn't done anything wrong, has he?
-Well, boss is boss. It is always easy to find a stick to beat a dog.
1. Money makes the mare （ to ） go.
mare 是母马或母驴，这里说的是连驴马都不得不屈从于金钱的诱惑。

这是一句很有意思的谚语，与中文里“有钱能使鬼推磨”的俗语有异曲同工之妙。

鬼推不推磨没有人见证过，但金钱的诱惑力却被一次又一次的验证。

为蝇头小利而为恶者有之，为重金出卖朋友者有之。

美国也正是以“重赏之下必有勇夫”为信条，以重金利诱，使“扑克牌人物”在伊拉克纷纷就擒。

当人们为金钱而心旌摇曳之时，道德的约束力就显
得微不足道。

所谓“君子爱财，取之有道”，人类的软肋不是爱财，而是贪婪。

“ Money talks ”也是这个意思。

. The terrible accident with so many victims was exposed to the whole nation at l ast. Apart from the shocks， people were puzzled： How come the accident was c oncealed for such a long time？ Money makes the mare go. Journalists had been b ribed.
2. Never mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged.
《阿 Q 正传》中，阿 Q 的头上有块亮光光的癞疮疤，于是他很忌讳人家说“癞”字，后来推而广之“光”也讳，“亮”也讳，再后来连“灯”“烛”都讳了。

然而人们却有意拿他取笑，等他走过来时故意说：“嚯，亮起来了。

”于是阿 Q 便满疤通红的发起怒来。

阿 Q 近乎滑稽的忌讳也反映出了人们害怕难堪，不敢正视自身弱点的心理缺陷。

. Remember not to mention the word father to Joe’s face， Geoffrey. His Dad was just sentenced to life imprisonment a week ago. Never mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged. It’ll draw him back into embarrassment again.
3. Give a dog a bad name and hang him.
人言可畏，一个人一旦恶名在外，就很难再在社会上有立锥之地。

在中国文化里，“一世英名毁于一旦”无疑是一件令人扼腕叹息的憾事。

古来以死以证清白者有之，不堪毁谤之辱而自赴黄泉者有之。

西谚又说： He that has an ill name is half hanged. 可见“名节”一词无论在东方抑或西方的词典中都占据着极其重要的位置。

.
－ The prestige the minister used to enjoy no longer exists. He’s become the targ et of criticisms ever since it was revealed that he had accepted bribes.
－ Absolutely， Bob. That’s all natural， though. Haven’t you heard of the saying “ Give a dog a bad name and hang him ”？ A bad name is not enough to ruin his e ntire life， but sufficient to put an end to his official career.
4. The dog returns to his vomit.
如果说“ Old habits die hard ”可以作为一种委婉的托词来自嘲的话，那么
“ The dog returns to his vomit ”就比上句激烈得多了。

说起来有点恶心， vomit 是呕吐物，俗话说“狗改不了吃屎”，话虽是粗俗了一点，但道理都是千真万确的。

. A week after Pete was released on parole， he was caught smuggling again. The dog returns to its vomit. Pete is a perfect example of that proverb.
5. Constant dropping wears away a stone.
山石屹立在水边，岿然耸峙，而流水就以千年来的温柔，将它们洗濯得皱纹满面。

水最柔软，竟然没有一定的形状；而水又是最坚硬，能在千百年的水石厮磨中将石任意雕刻。

牙齿比舌头硬，而老者张开嘴，牙齿没有了，舌头还在。

愚公移山“子子孙孙无穷匮也，而山不加增，何苦而不平？”在山的面前，人是如水一般的温柔，同时又如水一般的坚硬。

“ Constant dropping wears away a stone. ”这句西谚竟然可以一字不差的直译为水滴石穿，体现了令人惊叹的文化相通性。

. At first， he sniffed at his wife’s idea. But as she pleaded time and again， he be came more and more receptive. And why not？ Constant dropping wears away a s tone.
6. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
很多人都有这样的失落：明明已经十拿九稳、胜利在望了，却在最后一刻功亏一篑，将人拖入失望的深渊。

未来充满变数，自信是必要的，但是“蛋未孵前先数鸡”就难免沦于自负了。

“ Hope for the best， prepare for the worst ”，凡事如能保持一个良好的心态，就能最大程度上避免那种功亏一篑的失
落。

. Harley is over-conceited. He even claimed to be the gold medalist days b efore the games. As it turned out， he had been counting chickens before they we re hatched. He even failed to get the bronze， let alone the gold one.
7. Hasty climbers have sudden falls.
越是疾行的攀爬者越容易突然坠下。

因为匆忙，步履就可能不稳，轻则前功尽弃，重则粉身碎骨。

好望角好望不好过，好高骛远者难免被脚下的一块石头绊倒在地。

欲速则不达。

“ Haste makes waste； More haste， less speed. ”说的也是这个道理。

. It’s all very well for the government to institute reforms， especially in this war-ravaged country. The problem is their surprisingly fast pace. Hasty climbers have sudden falls. Unrealistic reformers will， one day， have a heavy price to pay.
8. A stitch in time saves nine.
及时修补，可以避免更大的损失。

其中智慧，与“小洞不补，大洞吃苦”何其相似乃尔。

另外值得一提的是，在中国传统文化中“九”表示多的意思，西方的“九”也有相似的意思，以上这句谚语就是很好的例子。

例如还有“ Nine tailors make a man ”（绅士要注意穿着的考究）和
“ Possession is nine points of the law ”（占有者在诉讼中十有九胜），体现出东西方文化在“九”这个神秘数字上不约而同的交汇。

. A stitch in time saves nine. The cost will double or triple if we ignore the present loophole.
9. It never rains but it pours.
古人云：福无双至，祸不单行；人生不如意事常十之八九。

西方人眼中也是如此，不仅下雨，还要下倾盆大雨。

“ but ”在这里是古英语的用法，用来引出两种相伴而生不可避免的情况，颇有点黑色幽默的意味。

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－ It never rains but it pours， especially when you’re without an umbrella. My ca r’s got a flat tire this morning， which had never happened before. When I got to work at long last， I was informed by the boss that my work has been forwarded to Johnson， whom I hated most in the whole company！
－ Oh， rotten luck！ But take it easy. That’s life！。