格言和俗语正确运用详解英语美文
老外平时除使用许多俚语(slang)外，也常夹些格言(adage)、俗语(proverb)、引语(quotation)、警句(saying)或是众所周知的道理(truism)。这些玩儿，也与中文里不少的格言或俗语等意义相近。使用起来，颇有“异曲同工”之妙。
attracts(或 draws)like. 意思是：相同的人吸引相同的人。 (like 指 similar people)这与另一句谬语 “Birds of a feather flock together.”(相同羽毛的鸟在一起)意义相似。(a = same)也就是咱们常说的“物以类聚”或“同声相应，同气相求”。
2.(Too much) familiarity breeds contempt. 意思是说：相处过於亲密，就会产生侮慢之心(不尊重)(即 low opinion)(breed = create)这句话又与另一句俗语“Too thick does not stick.” (太稠或太浓反而黏不住)意思相近。 也就是说： “closeness brings disagreement.”(亲不敬，熟生蔑); 就是劝人：“君子之交淡如水”或“保持距离，以策安全”。
bitten(或 bit)，twice shy. 就是说：一次被咬，下次胆小。或是一次上当，下次小心。(shy = avoid)动词时态：bite, bit, bitten(或 bit) 这又与另一句俗语“A burnt child fears(或dreads)the fire.”(被灼伤的小孩怕火)相似。说白些，就是： When you have bad experience, you don"t want to have the same experience again. 这不就是“一朝被蛇咬，见绳也心惊”或“一日被蛇咬，十年怕草绳”吗?
4.A stitch in time save nine. 意思是：“一针及时省九针”。也是“一针不补，十针难缝”或“小洞不补，大洞叫苦”的味道。这句警语与“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”(一分的预防，胜於十分的治疗)意义相近。此外，还有：“Don"t wait for a rainy day to fix the roof.(不要等到下雨时才去修补屋顶); 或“Always prepare for a rainy day.”或“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”(做最坏的打算和最好的希望)这些警语，说的都是“未雨绸缪”。
habits die hard. 意思是说：改掉老习惯很不容易。“It is difficult to break an old habit.”这与另一句谚语：“You can not teach an old dog new tricks.”(你不能教老狗新把戏)。这就是所谓“江山易改，本性难移”。
nce makes the heart grow fonder. 意思是：一个人不在时，使人内心更想念。“When a person is absent, we may think of him/her more often.”与“久别情深”、“眼不见，心更念”、“人去情渐深”，或是“一日不见如隔三秋”的意味相近。
7.A penny saved is a penny earned. 据说这是Ben Franklin 的引语。照字面意义是：能存一分钱，就是赚了一分钱。後来有人改口说： Take care of your pennies(=pence)and the pounds (=dollars)will take care of themselves. 说白些，就是： If you save small amount of money, you will eventually have a large sum of money. 就是中国人所谓“积少成多，集腋成裘”。(这句话也可指小事谨慎，大事自成。)
in Rome, do as the Romans do.意思是说：当在罗马时，就照罗马人的(生活)方式去做。所以有人也改口说： When in America, do as the Americans do. 就是“入国问禁，入乡随俗。”
is done cannot be undone.意思是：做过的事，不能再还原。(动词时态：undo, undid, undone)。这与另一句谚语 “Don"t cry over spilt milk.”或“It is no use crying over spilt milk.”意义相似。也就是说：What is done is done或What has taken place, nothing can be done about it.(take place=happen)就是“覆水难收”、“往者已矣”。
"t(或Never)cross a bridge till(或until)you come to it. 照字面的意义是：不等到桥边，就不必过桥。也有人说：We have to go across the bridge when we come to it. (it 指桥;bridge也指问题或困难)，换句话说：不必为将来顾虑太多“Don"t worry too much in advance.”劝人当问题出现时再设法解决不迟。“You have to face the problem or difficulty when the time comes.”这与所谓“船到桥头自然直”，颇有相似之处。
good things must come to an end. 意思是说：一切好事，总会结束的。也就像咱们所谓“天下没有不散的'宴席”或“好景无常”。换句话说：人生的道路是崎岖不平的(Life is bumpy.)或(Road bumps in our life.)但也不必悲观，生命也有光明的一面(There is light at the end of the tunnel.)
ty is but (=only) skin-deep. 意思是：美貌只是一层皮或外表的美是肤浅、短暂的。“Beauty is just as deep as skin.”这与其他两句格言:“Don"t judge a book by its cover.”(评价一本书不是只看书的包装)“Appearances are deceiving.”(外表是骗人的)意义相近，所以唯有内在的品格才是永久的重要的，(Personality Counts)，不可以貌取人，否则就成为所谓的“绣花枕头”了。
goes around comes around. 意思是：你的所做所为，也会得到报应的。 “What comes out of you will return to you.”这句话有些迷信 (superstition) ，像“十年河东，十年河西，风水轮著转”。不过老外所指的“因果报应”，多半是指“恶报”。 (注意：不是What comes around goes around.)
y talks. 这句话“钱会说话”或“金钱最有发言权”。也有人後面加上一句：It(money)talks all languages.(它会说多种语言)，也就是说：money is power. 或是说：Money makes the man. If you have money, even a fool is a master.(金钱改变一个人，假如你有钱，即使是傻瓜，也会变成主人。)这些谚语，与咱们所说的“金钱万能”、“钱可通神”或“有钱能使鬼推磨”的古老观念，意义相近。 (现代许多人倒认为“钱不是一切”)“money is not everything.”
guys finish last. 意思是：好人吃亏。(guy=person)这与另一句谚语相似：Nice(honest)people get short end of stick.(get short end of stick=not treated fairly); 也有老外说：(You)never give a sucker an even break.(你从不给老实人公平待遇)(even break=fair dial;sucker是指老实或易受骗的人)，就是“好人受欺”。
16. A small spark makes a great fire. 这与另一句警语：“It takes one small spark to start a forest fire.”意义相同。 也就是我们所说的“星星之火，可以燎原”。其实也可以说是：A trifle may, often cause great disaster.(小事也会引起大灾难)。
17. Out of sight, out of mind!意思是：看不见，心就不会想(烦恼)。 也就是咱们所谓“眼不见为净”。也有人说是：“Long absent, soon forgotten”或“Seldom seen, soon forgotten.”“见得少，忘得快”或是“时间会冲淡感情”。说白些，就是：If you don"t see it, you just forget about it.
18. Treat others as you want to be treated. 意思是说：你想别人怎样对待你，你就要怎样对待别人。 或者说：Treat others as you want others to treat you，也可以说：Do unto others as you would have others(them)do unto you.(unto 是古体的介系词=to)这与咱们所说的“己所不欲，勿施於人”意思相似。
19. There is no place like home. 意思是：没有一个地方像自己的家那么好。 还有其他说法：East, West, home is best或Home, sweet home!或是No place is as desirable as home. 这就像中国人所说的“金窝银窝，不如自己的狗窝。” (home是指经过装饰过而有人住的温暖的家，而house可能只是空空没人住过的房子)
20. Actions speak louder than words. 照字面意思是：行动比言语更响亮(有效)。 换句话说：采取行动要比高谈阔论好(It is better to take action than just to talk about it.)即“事实胜於雄辩”。
21. The pot calls(或calling)the kettle black. 意思是：锅嫌水壶黑。 此外，还有类似的谚语：All cats are(或look)black(或gray)in the dark.或者We are in the same boat.也就是说：大家彼此彼此(We are all equal或We are in the same situation。就像“五十步笑百步”或“乌鸦笑猪黑”。
22. Champagne tastes on a beer budget. 意思是说：只有喝啤酒的预算，却有喝香槟酒的爱好。 也就是指一些人花钱超出自己的能力。(Some people spend more money than they can afford.)或Some people live beyond their means.这不就是“打肿脸充胖子”吗?
23. It never rains, but it pours. 照字面意思：不是微微细雨，而是大雨倾盆。 也就是说：坏事接二连三的降临 (The bad thing come in succession.) 这与咱们所谓的“祸不单行”或“屋漏偏逢连夜雨，船破又逢对头风”意思相似。
24. One picture is worth a thousand words. 意思是：一张画(或照片)胜过一千字的描写。 如同中国人所说的“百闻不如一见”。(Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times.) (注意：Words are worth a thousands pictures.，又是指一篇文章描写得十分生动)
25. A slip of tongue cannot be recalled.意思是：(不小心)说漏了嘴，是收不回来的。 或者说：One word once let go can not be recalled. 这都是劝人说话要谨慎负责。即“一言既出，驷马难追”。
26. You cannot make filet mignon out of chopped liver. 意思是：你不能从品质差的肉，制造品质高的肉。filet mignon 是法国小牛排，是 high quality of meat ,而 chopped liver 是指品质差的肉，这里的 liver 未必是动物的肝脏，说白些，就是：Something with good quality can not be made with cheap material. 这与咱们所说的“朽木不可雕也”，颇有相似。
27. a chip off (或 of) the old block. 照字面说：木头中的一个碎片。 这与另外两句谚语相似：“Like father, like son.”(相貌性格等酷似父亲的儿子)“As the old cock crows, so crow the young.”(老公鸡在叫，小公鸡也跟著叫)(动词时态：crow, crowed(或crew), crowed)因为孩子多半是模仿父母的(Children generally imitate their parents.)(多半指男性)这就是咱们所谓的“有其父必有其子”。
28. Make hay while the sun shines. 意思是：晒草要趁阳光好。 这与另一句“seize the day”(把握今朝)= carpe diem 是拉丁文，意义相近。就是“行事要趁机会好”(make the most of an opportunity)。
29. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. 就是所谓“愚者仓促，智者小心”的意思，劝人不可轻举妄动。(Don"t jump without thinking.)
30. Judge not lest ye(=you)be judged.这句话是劝人不可批评别人。 (Don"t criticize others.)因为你如果批评别人，那么别人也会批评你。(If you criticize others, you"ll expect others to criticize you!)
