英汉互译中的谚语巧合（2）

 　　Corresponding English and Chinese proverbs and phrases（2）

　　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

　　trek¹ 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 odds² 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 loath³ 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 velvet⁴ 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 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。

2 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？

3 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。

4 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。