13.What 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.)
14.Money 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.」
15.Nice 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。
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