书城外语汉英英语谚语手册
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第28章 人 品 Character (5)

If you do not wish anyone to know what you have done, it is better not to have done it in the first place.

There is a witness everywhere.

要想人重必先自重。

A man is valued as he makes himself valuable.

要想做恶,借口有的是。

When people mean to do bad and cruel things, they can easily make excuses for it.

要想做好事,总是有机会的。

It is always time to do good.

要尊重劳动人民。不要嘲笑补鞋匠的黑拇指。

Mock not a cobbler for his black thumbs.

夜郎自大。

A cock is valiant on his own dunghill(粪堆).

Every cock crows on its own dunghill.

Once a devil, always a devil.

一次说谎,就得多次假话帮。

One lie makes / calls for many.

One lie needs seven lies to wait upon it.

一个人的缺点瞒不过身边的人。

The shoe knows whether the stocking has holes.

一句实话胜过两句誓言。

One honest word is better than two oaths.

一俊遮百丑。

A good reputation covers a multitude of sins.

一视同仁。

Act fairly by all men.

以德报怨。

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you.

Set good against evil.

The sandal tree(檀香树)perfumes the axe that fells it.

以德报怨者会取得最后的胜利。

He that returns good for evil obtains the victory.

以礼貌待人,积德不吃亏。

It pays to be polite.

以名誉为代价而得到的收益,应称为损失。

Gain at the expense of reputation should be called loss.

以强凌弱者往往都是懦夫。

A bully is always a coward.

拥有美德便拥有了一切。

Virtue has all things in itself.

勇敢和果断是美德的灵魂。

Courage and resolution are the spirit and soul of virtue.

勇士的神色胜过懦夫的刀剑。

A valiant man’s look is more than a coward’s sword.

勇士无鼓自威。

A gallant man needs no drums to rouse him.

勇退即勇进。

A brave retreat is a brave exploit.

勇往直前,无往不胜。

He goes / runs far that never turns.

游手好闲,容易学坏。

They that do nothing learn to do ill.

有德于人不应记,有德于我不忘记。

We should never remember the benefits we have offered nor forget the favor received.

有点礼貌使生活愉快,多点礼貌使生活高尚。

The small courtesies sweeten life; the greater ennoble it.

有耳语的地方必有谎言。

Where there is whispering, there is lying.

有时仁慈即使残忍,有时残忍即使仁慈。

Sometimes clemency is cruelty, and cruelty clemency.

有损他人权益的热情是盲目的狂热。

Zeal is blind when it encroaches upon the rights of others.

有勇气、有见识、有学问的人好遇,但真正的君子难逢。

Men of courage, men of sense, and men of letters are frequent; but a true gentleman is what one seldom seen.

庸人抱怨最多。

The worst wheel of a cart creaks(嘎吱作响)most.

语言的巨人,行动的矮子。

A man may talk like a wise man, and yet act like fool.

Great boasters / talkers / braggers, little doers.

The greatest talkers are always little doers.

He promises mountains and performs molehills(鼹鼠丘).

欲知其人,先观其行。

Behavior is mirror in which each / every one shows his image.

鸢永远变不成好鹰。

A kite will never be a good hawk.

原形毕露。

All swans are turned to geese.

远处叫的狗,近身不咬人。

Dogs that bark at a distance bite not at hand.

越高尚的人就越谦虚。

The more noble, the more humble.

越是小肚鸡肠, 越是骄傲自满。

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.

越有见识的人越谦虚。

The more a man knows, the less he knows he knows.

The more a man knows, the more h is inclined to be modest.

The more a man knows, the more he sees his ignorance.

When the cup is full, carry it even.

越有羞耻感的人越值得尊重。

The more things a man is ashamed of the more respectable he is.

宰相肚里能撑船。

A great man is large hearted.

在顺境中趾高气扬,就会在逆境中畏缩不前。

He who swells in prosperity will shrink in adversity.

在罪恶中游泳的人,必将在悲哀中沉默。

Who swims in sin shall sink in sorrow.

赞扬使好人更好,使坏人更坏。

Praise makes good men better and bad men worse.

贼喊捉贼。

Vice rebukes sin.

怎么谦虚都不过分。

You cannot be too modest

真金不怕火炼。

True gold fears not the fire.

真金不怕火炼。真正的蓝色不会弄脏。

True blue will never stain.

真正的礼貌出自真诚。