书城外语汉英英语谚语手册
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第20章 处 世 Life Skills (4)

He who makes constant complaint gets little compassion.

篱笆不扎紧,野狗就钻进。

At open doors dogs come in.

篱笆有眼,隔墙有耳。

Hedges have eyes, and walls have ears.

篱笆扎得紧,野狗钻不进。

Away goes the devil when he finds the door shut against him.

礼多必有诈。

Full of courtesy, full of craft.

礼多人不怪。

A man’s hat in his hand never did him any harm.

Civility / Courtesy / Politeness costs nothing.

One never loses anything by politeness

礼貌周全的人,诡计多端。

Full of courtesy, full of craft.

礼物送到,路就畅通无阻。

Gifts make their way through stone walls.

礼仪至上。

There’s nothing that costs less than civility.

立刻就帮等于帮两次。

He gives twice that gives in a trice.

利于甲未必利于乙。有利必有弊。

Good for the liver(肝)may be bad for the spleen(脾).

脸上露怡颜,便饭成盛宴。

A cheerful look makes a dish a feast.

良言可息怒。

Fair words slake wrath.

两面讨好。

He runs with the hare(野兔)and hunts with the hounds(猎狗).

量小易怒。

A little pot / pan is soon hot.

邻里能和睦,日子才太平。

You must ask your neighbor if you shall live peace.

落井下石。痛打落水狗。

He that is down, down with him.

忙人总爱多管闲事。

Busy folks are always meddling.

盲从者的勇气是很危险的。

Mettle(勇气)is dangerous in a blind horse.

盲目激进者必将碰钉子。

He that runs in the dark may well stumble.

猫哭老鼠假慈悲。

Carrion crows bewail the dead sheep and then eat them.

Crows bewails the dead sheep, and then eat them.

勉强的好意不应得到感谢。

A forced kindness deserves no thanks.

敏于听而慎于言

Be swift to hear, slow to speak.

模仿是最真挚的恭维。

Imitation is the sincerest flattery.

莫道全所知,莫信全所闻。

Say not all that you know, believe not all that you hear.

哪壶不开提哪壶。

The tongue ever turns to the aching tooth.

能用温柔手段,就不要采取强硬措施。

Never take the taws(鞭子)when a word will do the turn.

泥菩萨过河,自身难保。

A clay idol fording a river is hardly able to save itself.

He that is fallen cannot help him that is down.

泥鳅翻不起大浪

An inch breaks no square(无关紧要).

宁被婉言谢绝,不受粗鲁恩赐。

A civil denial is better than a rude grant.

宁可失足滑倒,不可随口失言。

Better the foot slip than the tongue trip.

Better the feet slip than the tongue.

Better to slip with the foot than with the tongue.

宁用小火取暖,不引大火烧身。

Better a little fire to warm us, than a great one to burn us.

Better a wee(少)fire to warm us than mickle(多)fire to burn us.

宁遭人妒,莫受人怜。

Better be envied than pitied.

牛被角执,人被舌毁。

An ox is taken by the horns, and the man by the tongue.

怒中人力气大。

However weak the hand, anger gives it strength.

诺言就是债务。

A promise is a debt.

怕事的人总是烦恼。

A man too careful of danger lives in constant torment(折磨).

判断的失误常常由恐惧引起。

Defect of judgment is often the cause of fear.

杞人忧天。

Cry for the moon.

Fear is often greater than the danger.

You are feared of the day you never saw.

棋逢对手,将遇良才。

Diamonds cut diamonds.

祈祷多,诚意少。

He has much prayer and little devotion.

骑虎难下。

He who rides on a tiger can never dismount(下马).

钱财不露底,思想要保留。

Never show the bottom of your purse or your mind.

墙内开花墙外香。名誉是面放大镜,越远越大。

Fame is a magnifying glass.

墙内开花墙外香。名誉像河流,源头虽狭窄,越远越宽阔。

Fame like a river is narrowest at its source and broadest afar off.

巧言不如直说。

A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.

巧言令色实无益。

Fair words fill not the belly.

Fair words will not fill the belly.

The belly is not filled with fair words.

巧言令色使傻瓜得意洋洋。

Fair words make fools fain.

切勿孤注一掷。

Never put all your eggs in one basket.

切勿落井下石。

Never hit a man when he’s down.

切勿轻信花言巧语。

Never trust to fine words.

切勿轻信无据之言。

Believe somebody on his bare word.

切勿写不敢署名的文章。好汉做事好汉当。

Never write what you dare not sign.

切勿因小失大。不要为了一个无价值的水手毁了一条船。

Never spoil a ship for a ha’p’orth / halfpennyworth of tar.

切勿做力所不能及的事。

Never venture out of your depth till you can swim.

切勿证实无人怀疑之事。

Never try to prove what nobody doubts.

轻诺必寡信。

A man apt to promise is apt to forget.

He that promises too much means nothing.

轻信的人容易受骗。

Who are ready to believe are easy to deceive.

清白的人无需自己洗刷。

A clean hand wants no washing.

曲高和寡。

He travels the fastest who travels alone.

泉高不过源。

A fountain cannot rise higher than its source.

劝人容易帮人难。

Advising is easier than helping.

让手忙起来,而不是嘴忙起来。

Let the hands get busy, not the mouth.

饶舌者必扯谎。

He that talks much lies much.

饶舌者相遇乐融融。

It is merry when gossips meet.

热情不能脱离谨慎。

Zeal should not outrun discretion(谨慎).

热情盲目了就是愚蠢的姐妹。

Zeal without knowledge is the sister of folly.

人不可貌相,海水不可斗量。破烂的剑鞘里常藏着好剑。

Good swords have often been in poor scabbards(鞘).

Men are not to be measured by inches.

人不可貌相,海水不可斗量。

Spice is black, but it has a sweet smack.

The cowl(蒙头斗篷)/ hood(兜帽)does not make the monk.

Under a shabby cloak may be a smart thinker.

You cannot judge a book by its cover.

You annot judge a tree by its bark.

You dannot judge the horse by the harness(马具).

人不可貌相。骄傲可能会潜藏在穿旧的斗篷下。

Pride may lurk under a threadbare cloak.

人错首次不受责。

Every dog is allowed his first bite.

人贵有自知之明。

Know thyself(你自己).

人很少看见自己的错误。

Man too seldom see their own faults.

人皆喜欢听奉承话

Men love to ear well of themselves.

人皆有过,藏而不露。

Everyone’s faults are not written in their foreheads.

人人都满意的人根本不存在。

He who pleased with everybody died before he was born.

人若知足,愿望都能变成金。

Contentment turns all its wishes to gold.

人心百态。

All bread is not baked in one oven.

人言可畏。吐沫星子能淹死人。

Many words cut / hurt more than swords.

The tongue breaks bone, though itself has none.

人要互相帮忙。与人方便,就会预计方便。

Roll my log and I’ll roll yours.

人有糊涂一时,没有糊涂一世。

Every man is a fool sometime, and none at all times.

No one is a fool always, every on sometimes.

人在屋檐下,怎敢不低头。

As long as you serve the tod, you must bear up his tail.

He must needs go / run whom the devil drives.

He must stoop that has a low door.

Needs must when the devil drives.

忍耐是灵丹妙药。

There’s no remedy but patience.

忍耐是有限度的。

One must draw the line somewhere.

认错是悔改的第一步。

Confession is the first step to repentance.

如果不喜欢,要学会忍耐。

If you don’t like it you may lump(忍受)it.

如果你开别人的玩笑,就必须接受别人开你的玩笑。

If you make a jest, you must take a jest.

如果事不如愿,也应尽力而为。

If / When we can’t as we would, we must do as we can.

如果有人赞扬你,要自己细掂量

If they say you are good, ask yourself if it be true.

如果指挥有方,就会人人乐从。

If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully.

如果忠告是有益的,无论谁提都欢迎。

If the counsel be good, no matter who gave it.

若想人不知,除非己莫为。纸里包不住火。没有不透风的墙。

Don’t do it if you don’t want others to know about it.

The day has eyes and the night has ears.

What is done by night appears by day.

入乡随俗。

Do in Rome as Rome does / the Romans do.

What at Rome, do as the Romans do.

One must howl with the wolves.

You must howl with the wolves when you are among them.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

When you are at Rome, do as Rome does.

When you go to Rome, do as Rome does.

撒谎者需要好记性。

Liars have need of good memories.

Liars need long memories.

Liars should / ought to have good memories.