实用的英语谚语
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许多人在演讲、写作或谈话中,喜欢引用一些格言 (adage)、成语 (proverb) 或引语 (quotation) 等,使其内容更加活泼生动,有时还能收到「事半功倍」之效。我们也可以模仿。
值得一提的是:成语或格言,一般而言,都是照原文独立使用。不过有时也可用在新的句子里;有时也可用肯定句或否定句;有时动词时态也可稍加改变;这要看使用时的情况而定。但无论如何,必须保持原文的完整性。在此,先以第一句为例,希望能收「举一反三」之效。
(1) You can not teach an old dog new tricks ── 照字面意思是:你不能教老狗学新的把戏。也就是说:年老守旧的人,不易改变旧的作风,或接受新的事物和新思想。(Some people find it impossible to change their ways; or older people can not accept the changes or new ideas.) 虽然这句成语可以独立使用,但只要能维持原文的完整性,也可「动些手脚」。例如:
Stop trying to teach an old dog new tricks; you are just wasting time.(别想教老狗新花样,你只是白花时间。)
Are you trying to teach an old dog new tricks?
He is impossible. Don‘t try to teach an old dog new tricks.(impossible 是指顽固成性、墨守成规的人。)
I have tried teaching an old dog new tricks, but it doesn‘t work.(注:教狗不直接用 teach,要用 try to teach。)
(2) All that glitters is not gold. ── 字面的意思是:所有能闪闪发光的东西,未必都是黄金。换言之,就是许多外表漂亮的物品,未必都是真正的宝贝。因为也许是金玉其外,败絮其中,或是中看不中用。(not every beautiful thing is valuable. 也有人说成:All is not gold that glitters. (glitter 是动词,意思是闪闪发光或光彩夺目。) 也可用在句子里:
I told my students that all that glitters is not gold.
还有一句相似的成语:
Don‘t judge a book by its cover. (意思是:不能以书皮的美丑,去判断书的内容好坏。)
(3) Pepole (或 Those) who live in glass houses should not throw stones (或 rocks) ── 照字面的意思是:住在玻璃屋里的人不可丢石头。也就是说,世间没有十全十美的人,每个人都有缺点,所以不要批评别人。即所谓「自身有短,勿批他人」。(Nobody is perfect, so we should not criticize others.) 类似的,还有:
Don‘t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. (除非你充分了解人家的立场,不可轻易作出评估。)
(judge = criticize; have walked a mile in his shoes = have understood his situation well enough)
另一句是:
Judge not lest ye be judged. (来自圣经)(意思是:不要批评别人,免得将来也被别人批评。)(ye 是古字 = you;lest 是连接词,意思是唯恐或免得。)就是:
所以我们也可以说:
He told his children“Judge not lest ye be judged.”
(4) It is more blessed to give than to receive. ── 意思是:施比受更有福。也就是劝人多多行善,帮助他人。(blessed 是形容词,意思是幸福的,受尊敬的。)这句话不但可独立使用,也可用在不同的句子里:
Especially during Christmas time, it‘s more blessed to give than to receive.(尤其在圣诞时更要助人)
The longer I live the more I realize that it is more blessed to give than to receive.(我活得愈久,愈体会到施比受更有福。)
(5) Every cloud has a silver lining. ── 照字面的意思是,每一个阴云中,都有一点银白的衬层。换句话就是,每一个不好的情况,也有好的一面。即所谓「黑暗中总有一线光明」。(Something good in every situation; or there is a positive side in everything.) (lining 是名词,意思是内衬或环衬。)所以劝人不可悲观,就可以说:
Don‘t be so grumpy and pessimistic because every
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