英汉互译中的谚语巧合

 　　俚语和谚语是英语学习中的一大绊脚石。我们不明白这些俗语的含义，是因为我们和英语国家的文化背景不同。如果能在汉语中为这些俗语找到对应的说法，问题就解决了。我们向你介绍一些英汉合璧的俚语和谚语，帮助你的英语学习更上一层楼。

　　1.After meat, mustard; after death, doctor .

　　雨后送伞

　　Explanation: this describes a situation where assistance or comfort is given when it is too late.

　　Example: just as I had cancelled my application to go abroad, I had a promise of money for my fare. It was a case of fter death, the doctor.

　　2. After praising the wine they sell us vinegar.

　　挂羊头卖狗肉

　　Explanation: to offer to give or sell something that is inferior to what you claim it to be.

　　Example: that fellow completely misled us about what he was capable of doing. After praising the wine, he sold us vinegar.

　　3. All is over but the shouting.

　　大势已去

　　Explanation: finally decided¹ or won; brought to the end; not able to be changed.

　　Example: after Bill’s touch down, the game is all over but shouting.

　　4. All lay load on the willing horse.

　　人善被人欺，马善被人骑

　　Explanation: a willing horse is someone who is always doing things for others. Very often the implication is that others impose on him.

　　Examples: the trouble is you‘re too good-natured and people take advantage of it. all lay load on the willing horse. You will have to learn to refuse people who ask too much.

　　5.anger and haste hinder good counsel.

　　小不忍则乱大谋

　　Explanation: one can not act wisely when one is angry or in a hurry.

　　Example: you should calm down before you decide the next move. Anger and haste hinder good counsel.

　　6. As poor as a church mouse

　　一贫如洗

　　Explanation: to be exceedingly poor, having barely to live upon.

　　Example: he has a large family, and is poor as a church mouse.

　　Note: a church is one of the few buildings that contain no food.

　　7. A word spoken is past recalling.

　　一言既出，驷马难追

　　Explanation: the harm done by a careless word can not easily undo².

　　Example: for the rest of his life he regretted what he had said, but a word spoken is past recalling and he knew he could never repair the damage of that moment of harshness.

　　下面的谚语不难理解了吧？　　NOW, TRY YOUR HAND ON THE FOLLOWING:

　　Love is blind.

　　beauty is a matter of individual taste and judgement. This is often used of a person whose judgement is affected³ by love or infatuation.

　　Better to die in glory than live in dishonor.

　　if one has the choice between living in shame and degradation⁴ and dying in glory, it is better to die.

　　Birds of a feather flock together.

　　people who are alike often become friend or are together: if you are often with certain people, you may be their friends or like them.

　　Blood, toil⁵, tears and sweat.

　　said of a person bending oneself to a task and exerting all efforts in the performance of one duty.

　　Calamity⁶ is man true touchstone.

　　the most telling test of a man ability and worth comes when he has to face great difficulties.

　　Clean conscience laughs at false accusation⁷.

　　a person who knows he has done no wrong is morally stronger than those who falsely accuse him are.

　　Cry over spilt milk.

　　to cry or complain about something that has already happened.

　　1. World is but a little place, after all.

　　天涯原咫尺，到处可逢君

　　Explanation: it is used when a person meets someone he knows or is in someway connected with him in a place where he would never have expected to do so.

　　Example: Who would have thought I would bump into an old schoolmate on a trek⁸ up Mount Tai. The world is but a little place after all.

　　2. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

　　入乡随俗

　　Explanation: conform to the manners and customs of those amongst whom you live.

　　Example: I know you have egg and bacon for breakfast at home, but now you are on the Continent you will do as the Romans do and take coffee and rolls.

　　3. What you lose on the swings you get back on the roundabouts.

　　失之东隅，收之桑榆

　　Explanation: a rough way of starting a law of average; if you have bad luck on one day you have good on another; if one venture results in loss try a fresh one---it may succeed.

　　Example: he may always possess merits which make up for everything; if he loses on the swings, he may win on the roundabouts.

　　4. What are the odds⁹ so long as you are happy.

　　知足者常乐

　　Explanation: what does anything else matter if a person is happy.

　　Example: you complain so much, but you have a good family, parents, health, and money. What’s the odd so long as you’re happy.

　　5．Entertain an angel unawares.

　　有眼不识泰山

　　Explanation: to receive a great personage as a guest without knowing his merits.

　　Example: in the course of evening someone informed her that she was entertaining an angel unawares, in the shape of a composer of the greatest promise

　　6. every dog has his day .

　　是人皆有出头日

　　Explanation: fortune comes to each in turn

　　Example: they say that every dog has his day; but mine seems a very long time coming.

　　7. every potter praises his own pot.

　　王婆买瓜，自卖自夸

　　Explanation: people are loath¹⁰ to refer to defects in their possessions or their family members

　　Example: he said that his teacher considered his work brilliant, but I would rather hear it from his teacher’s own mouth. Every potter praises his own pot

　　Now come on! Have a try.试着翻译一下下面几个谚语！

　　hit the nail on the head

　　have an iron hand in a velvet¹¹ glove

　　great minds think alike

　　good wine needs no bush

　　Give him enough rope and he will hang himself.

　　Evil does not always come to injure.

　　A fool may give a wise man counsel.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

5 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

6 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

7 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

8 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

9 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

10 loath   

adj.不愿意的；勉强的

参考例句：

• The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
• They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。

11 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。