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发表于 2009-5-20 21:54
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5、学点西方谚语,了解西方文化
) L5 v. I% `* p* v2 S' _& p# X1)Man proposes, God disposes. . J6 k% n/ a* _2 h
8 r" K7 T ]- \这个说法最早见于14世纪,起初以 “If man proposes evil, God disposes of it.” 的形式出现, 意思是上帝会阻止想要为恶的人。这里的God, 既可以指上帝, 又可以指天意。 就像我们常说的“尽人事, 听天命”、“谋事在人,成事在天”一样, 尽力而为之后, 还要顺从自然的规律。 毕竟,人类是自然的一部分, 凡事皆不可强求, 与自然的和谐是人类的生存之本。 2 |' S. {$ T: ~5 P1 X
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eg:
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A: Bob, how about tomorrow’s driving test?Sure to pass,huh? 8 `# V& @% P% o/ w1 V
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B: I don’t know. I’ve done enough, I’d say. Anyway, man proposes, God disposes. I am praying for good luck.
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2)It is a sin to steal a pin.
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$ f' T9 s, i) B6 E该句的字面意思是: 即使是偷一根针也是一种罪过。还记得那句古训吗?“勿以恶小而为之, 勿以善小而不为。”冀望之切,溢于言表。不要因为犯的是小错就可以听之任之。 % @$ Z1 c# e; E
$ [. n( w' I& [' a& ?, }eg: Honesty is the best policy. Never covet what is not yours, for it is a sin to steal a pin.
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9 V# D* I& `1 J' l) `, x7 V; ?# y( W6 u3)If you play with fire, you get burnt. " I8 o3 W: n: R% H' p0 r" B: o
/ h. i7 K3 ^; E6 h正如西方谚语所说:Fire is a good servant but a bad master. + J, V) T# N: K9 `7 ^
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火在人们的掌控之下时是人类股掌之上的可爱精灵:篝火给人温暖,烟花处处讨人欢心。可是一旦它的力量过大,就凌驾于人类之上,再不受人的掌握。权力亦是如此,当它逐渐膨胀不可收拾时,就成为一个暴戾的君王,统治人们的言行。所谓“玩火者必自慰”,铤而走险的盲目举动会招致无穷祸患。
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eg: The abuse of power has sent many people into jail, which shows that playing with fire could get you burnt.
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4)Revenge is a dish that could be eaten cold. # u. ?* t! E, b3 O" h; P7 u- U
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很形象的一句谚语。所有的菜肴都必须趁热吃,唯独revenge是个例外。“君子报仇,十年未晚。” - a' J, J& Q) f5 N+ X; M* N) {
& {# |( h" c/ l* C+ aeg: He has done serious wrong to his friends. You just wait and see. They will not let him go scot-free. Revenge is a dish that could be eaten cold.
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5)There is no smoke without fire. + @- U2 M. F) O9 O7 B Q* k# v
& f% I& M) x8 e* P! P4 v' p d/ x无风不起浪,有水才行船。任何事情的发生都是有前兆的,“流言”的兴起有时也不完全是无中生有。虽然说是“坐得船头稳,不怕浪来颠”(相似的西谚是“Do right and fear no man。”),但风起于青萍之末,一只蝴蝶扇动翅膀就可能引起大洋彼岸的一场大风暴。做人、谋事,谨慎为佳。 w. W, J/ [2 f9 O, ~
. R6 T4 h) i8 neg: "No smoke without fire," said the detective. 6 b0 B2 k1 R4 d5 y8 d& R# ]0 U
: C1 g& i6 s- w, m"Smoke signals can be misread," countered Sloan. ( x" H7 n- V: T ?$ Y) C5 ]
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6)Every dog has its day.
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# E1 V" b( X/ P( j* j; _4 J- U7 }. C, G这里的day,是指opportunities, 即成功的机会;而dog 则泛指那些地位低下、似乎没有出息的人。“士别三日,当刮目相看”,落魄的人若发奋图强,总会有出头之日。 / \* X2 Q- x& Z6 X
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(又作All dogs have their days。) 0 K) b1 j6 \7 C6 ^6 \4 g
o* ^ O) h/ ~+ Yeg: You must not look down upon him. Though poor and gloomy. he could turn out to be outstanding one day. As the saying goes, every dog has its day.
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7)If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
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' g B0 v3 p* t, X/ V) K这是一句很经典的谚语,也就是我们中文里说的“近朱者赤,近墨者黑”。 在这条英文谚语中体现出来的只是“近墨者黑”的一面。虽然中文里还有成语“出污泥而不染”一说,但环境对于人的影响仍然不可小觑。
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: V/ b1 H8 P ne。g。 -Harry! How come you’re back so late? Where’ve you been? / a( q+ I2 w& L. a' _) y
6 ]7 H$ o( O) p, o2 q: j; m; Y# x+ A-Just to a friend’s.
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-To a friend’s? Just for a glass of liquor, huh? You’re going to be drowned in liquor, I’d say! If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up to find yourself with millions of fleas!
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8)It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog.
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1 j: s! j4 Y9 _" p+ l人非圣贤,孰能无过。人们总会犯一些错误,也许做者无心但观者有意。有些小人,自己抱残守缺,不干实事,却挖空心思,找别人的缺点和麻烦。欲加之罪,何患无辞? 3 `* ], T9 t: z
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eg: -Did you know that Jeff’s been fired? 0 y3 U# N9 [$ I6 a: u
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-No. What for? + H# C. S, B4 U b2 x& f& J
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-Jeff sometimes had ideas different from our boss’s. $ J' e1 o& _, |# I7 I5 f& r1 p
$ u3 F" g7 v# U-Yeah, but Jeff hasn’t done anything wrong, has he?
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-Well, boss is boss。 It is always easy to find a stick to beat a dog.
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/ I$ I( f" n7 M& v) ~9)You can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
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5 q( m. `# [/ a5 C: x这句谚语说的是:人老了思想容易僵化,对新生事物很难接受。 * p4 c4 L9 d# Y+ v
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eg: Don’t forget Wang is already 80. At his age, you can’t expect him to learn the tap dance. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks, you know. + ?. ]4 E, X6 _& a
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从以上的几则谚语我们可以观察到中西文化的一个有趣的区别。西方人经常用狗来比喻人,如,lucky dog(幸运儿),因为他们并不歧视狗。而在汉语中,有不少涉及狗的谚语和成语都是贬义的,如“狗改不了吃屎”、“挂羊头卖狗肉”、“狗仗人势”、“狗嘴里吐不出象牙”等。当然,英文中dog一词有时也带有贬义,但往往含义与中文不尽相同,我们使用时切忌望文生义。如,It is a dog’s life Chris is leading。 某位教授认为“a dog’s life”的意思是“悲惨的生活”,因而在一篇论及中英文化差别的文章中将其译成“过着牛马不如的生活”。其实“a dog’s life”指的是“争吵不休,过着不安宁的日子”。这类成语很多,如go to the dogs(每况愈下),dog-eat-dog(狗咬狗的,损人利己的),dog in the manger(占着茅坑不拉屎的人)。还有一些没有任何褒贬涵义的用法,如dog days(大热天),doggy bag(餐馆里的打包袋),据说,早先人们碍于面子,不愿明说要把剩菜带回家吃,佯称要带给狗吃,所以叫doggy bag. ! u$ H" f6 x, _) W
5 Q+ z: t/ q+ l9 p( T" r上面四条西方谚语都可以在汉语中找到相似的表达,但下面两条却全然不同了。 , E8 y3 d6 O, N4 z' d0 {8 ~- a/ s
- [9 e) ]! }5 \7 i5 A. W6 M- q10)Lightning never strikes the same place twice. [9 n. U) A% \9 O* y8 R
9 e% h0 @! d! `* |, w2 ~“闪电从不打同一个地方”,与我们说的“福无双至,祸不单行”恰恰相反,这也是差异的一个有趣的体现。
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; j l+ x% ~: n& A! Keg: -How were your exams? All over? : t4 h" E. C% s, d
$ y8 M, f# O7 I5 T! N, E' ~3 L-I really don’t know. I did rather poorly last time. I hope I’ll do better this time. : P( {& S) \$ c* Z) ^. F! Z
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-Come on, don’t worry about it。 You are sure to pass。 As the saying goes, lightening never strikes the same place twice. / Y3 K- V: ?5 N* b# k7 G
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11)One swallow does not make a summer.
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swallow 是燕子。西谚说,一只燕子飞来不能代表夏天的来临。而中国成语却说, 一叶知秋。两种说法各有其智慧。“One swallow does not make a summer”强调的是要区别一般性与特殊性的辩证哲理; 而“一叶知秋”体现的则是从细微的端倪窥见总体趋势的睿智。 " f1 X/ f9 F, |6 G& n7 b) q7 D
+ f7 Y; b$ A+ }eg: -Hey, look! The scores are already 2:1!Liverpool is sure to win, I bet!
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% n: X) B/ o& W-I don’t think so. One swallow does not make a summer. Miracles always happen the last minute. |
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