[推荐] 学点英文谚语 了解西方文化
摘自《英语学习》2005年第5期[color=Blue][font=黑体]
It takes two to make a quarrel.[/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[font=黑体][color=Blue]Murder will out. [/color][/font]
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。
e.g. "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."
[font=黑体][color=Blue]An army marches on its stomach. [/color][/font]
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。
e.g. 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.
[font=黑体][color=Blue]There is many a slip between cup and lip. [/color][/font]
我国有不少类似的谚语，如天有不测风云，?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。
e.g. 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.
[color=Blue][font=黑体]The pot calls the kettle black. [/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[color=Blue][font=黑体]Live and learn. [/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[color=Blue][font=黑体]There is a black sheep in every flock.[/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[color=Blue][font=黑体]Too many cooks spoils the broth.[/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[color=Blue][font=黑体]All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. [/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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."
[color=Blue][font=黑体]A rolling stone gathers no moss. [/font][/color]
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。
e.g. 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.
[[i] 本帖最后由 qzhao 于 2006-4-22 22:41 编辑 [/i]] thanks
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