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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8 S5 }* M0 s) d4 a
1)Man proposes, God disposes. & R/ A& p, `: q. a% O+ M
- i/ e" ~4 j6 G0 f( S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。 7 A+ v* S& x- U' T/ _2 B
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eg:
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A: Bob, how about tomorrow’s driving test?Sure to pass,huh?
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& B2 Q6 Z: |, ?/ uB: 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. . I# ]; H x3 u( D: \4 x
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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。 $ m: p) o4 z, Q- d
1 D: C3 m, z" Y- c' R0 Ieg: Honesty is the best policy. Never covet what is not yours, for it is a sin to steal a pin. / _0 Y4 k+ K( j8 t( p6 P
r5 [3 i) k( z, E* A* w3)If you play with fire, you get burnt.
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正如西方谚语所说:Fire is a good servant but a bad master.
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" m# p! n- ?5 J( _" j9 Z$ P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. 9 |, R" t Q9 c O5 Z+ N7 f+ j/ U0 J
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4)Revenge is a dish that could be eaten cold. 1 l' e* m* [; }( U
2 N8 T$ `9 o, F: M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。”
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eg: 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. ! A( L- K6 b; _5 y$ B" y6 K
1 |& M/ ~) ~7 h: I6 P/ X; C5)There is no smoke without fire.
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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。
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eg: "No smoke without fire," said the detective.
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* [+ @/ j* {5 }! X) ~"Smoke signals can be misread," countered Sloan.
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$ j! ?: W% ~9 C3 M" i, H6)Every dog has its day.
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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。 / l! t! S$ i. C7 ~5 h2 L/ v
& S, F8 D, m7 p* f: Y' j(又作All dogs have their days。) ( o, t, U8 _+ y( [
9 V- V: f2 U* E! x, f! { \# leg: 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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2 \* Z$ `: F0 \, S: s7)If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas. ' f' U& p" j4 G! I
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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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e。g。 -Harry! How come you’re back so late? Where’ve you been? : V; E7 z: ^' d F
7 s9 z4 V6 g$ ?- ~; g1 E-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 s" t/ D3 o+ c/ E. \5 z7 ]' [8)It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog.
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4 ]; C4 o- d& K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?
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eg: -Did you know that Jeff’s been fired? + W3 B0 M9 t9 S4 u. I
, P6 ^7 D9 z% m0 t; A-No. What for?
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-Jeff sometimes had ideas different from our boss’s.
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-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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- @$ _! `9 g) E: d1 Z9)You can’t teach old dogs new tricks. : _& N6 v/ u6 N6 h; T' c' g: \
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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。
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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. 8 `: ~" x) _! P6 }9 `% p% _
) a5 G m5 E/ H7 T9 H4 Y9 R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.
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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。
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8 g. s4 E; D5 O10)Lightning never strikes the same place twice. 2 b% B9 E6 K' ~
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“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。 # ?5 Z, j& y5 K3 o
- v- f$ m- t' B7 S+ v* T. G, Qeg: -How were your exams? All over? % m2 n5 T J8 m3 p. l' u
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-I really don’t know. I did rather poorly last time. I hope I’ll do better this time.
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1 E J/ }6 Q, O' H-Come on, don’t worry about it。 You are sure to pass。 As the saying goes, lightening never strikes the same place twice.
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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。
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5 ^: p. S) T6 P; Y& r# W' Jeg: -Hey, look! The scores are already 2:1!Liverpool is sure to win, I bet! 7 ~' W4 H3 d( E2 x. D
3 F4 O6 ~1 j4 |1 t6 l8 ]$ J4 r-I don’t think so. One swallow does not make a summer. Miracles always happen the last minute. |
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