2011年英語四六級(jí)考試輔導(dǎo):格言和俗語(2)

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    3.Once bitten(或 bit),twice shy. 就是說:一次被咬,下次膽小?;蚴且淮紊袭?dāng),下次小心。(shy = avoid)動(dòng)詞時(shí)態(tài):bite, bit, bitten(或 bit) 這又與另一句俗語「A burnt child fears(或dreads)the fire.」(被灼傷的小孩怕火)相似。說白些,就是: When you have bad experience, you don’t want to have the same experience again. 這不就是「一朝被蛇咬,見繩也心驚」或「一日被蛇咬,十年怕草繩」嗎?
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    4.A stitch in time save nine. 意思是:「一針及時(shí)省九針」。也是「一針不補(bǔ),十針難縫」或「小洞不補(bǔ),大洞叫苦」的味道。這句警語與「An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.」(一分的預(yù)防,勝於十分的治療)意義相近。此外,還有:「Don‘t wait for a rainy day to fix the roof.(不要等到下雨時(shí)才去修補(bǔ)屋頂); 或「Always prepare for a rainy day.」或「Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.」(做最壞的打算和的希望)這些警語,說的都是「未雨綢繆」。
    5.Old habits die hard. 意思是說:改掉*慣很不容易?!窱t is difficult to break an old habit.」這與另一句諺語:「You can not teach an old dog new tricks.」(你不能教老狗新把戲)。這就是所謂「江山易改,本性難移」。
    6.Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 意思是:一個(gè)人不在時(shí),使人內(nèi)心更想念。「When a person is absent, we may think of him/her more often.」與「久別情深」、「眼不見,心更念」、「人去情漸深」,或是「一日不見如隔三秋」的意味相近。
    7.A penny saved is a penny earned. 據(jù)說這是Ben Franklin 的引語。照字面意義是:能存一分錢,就是賺了一分錢。後來有人改口說: Take care of your pennies(=pence)and the pounds (=dollars)will take care of themselves. 說白些,就是: If you save small amount of money, you will eventually have a large sum of money. 就是中國人所謂「積少成多,集腋成裘」。(這句話也可指小事謹(jǐn)慎,大事自成。)
    8.When in Rome, do as the Romans do.意思是說:當(dāng)在羅馬時(shí),就照羅馬人的(生活)方式去做。所以有人也改口說: When in America, do as the Americans do. 就是「入國問禁,入鄉(xiāng)隨俗。」
    9.What is done cannot be undone.意思是:做過的事,不能再還原。(動(dòng)詞時(shí)態(tài):undo, undid, undone)。這與另一句諺語 「Don’t cry over spilt milk.」或「It is no use crying over spilt milk.」意義相似。也就是說:What is done is done或What has taken place, nothing can be done about it.(take place=happen)就是「覆水難收」、「往者已矣」。
    10.Don‘t(或Never)cross a bridge till(或until)you come to it. 照字面的意義是:不等到橋邊,就不橋。也有人說:We have to go across the bridge when we come to it. (it 指橋;bridge也指問題或困難),換句話說:不必為將來顧慮太多「Don’t worry too much in advance.」勸人當(dāng)問題出現(xiàn)時(shí)再設(shè)法解決不遲。「You have to face the problem or difficulty when the time comes.」這與所謂「船到橋頭自然直」,頗有相似之處。
    11.All good things must come to an end. 意思是說:一切好事,總會(huì)結(jié)束的。也就像咱們所謂「天下沒有不散的宴席」或「好景無?!?。換句話說:人生的道路是崎嶇不平的(Life is bumpy.)或(Road bumps in our life.)但也不必悲觀,生命也有光明的一面(There is light at the end of the tunnel.)
    12.Beauty is but (=only) skin-deep. 意思是:美貌只是一層皮或外表的美是膚淺、短暫的。「Beauty is just as deep as skin.」這與其他兩句格言:「Don‘t judge a book by its cover.」(評價(jià)一本書不是只看書的包裝)「Appearances are deceiving.」(外表是騙人的)意義相近,所以唯有內(nèi)在的品格才是永久的重要的,(Personality Counts),不可以貌取人,否則就成為所謂的「繡花枕頭」了。
    13.What goes around comes around. 意思是:你的所做所為,也會(huì)得到報(bào)應(yīng)的。 「What comes out of you will return to you.」這句話有些迷信 (superstition) ,像「十年河?xùn)|,十年河西,風(fēng)水輪著轉(zhuǎn)」。不過老外所指的「因果報(bào)應(yīng)」,多半是指「惡報(bào)」。 (注意:不是What comes around goes around.)
    14.Money talks. 這句話「錢會(huì)說話」或「金錢最有發(fā)言權(quán)」。也有人後面加上一句:It(money)talks all languages.(它會(huì)說多種語言),也就是說:money is power. 或是說:Money makes the man. If you have money, even a fool is a master.(金錢改變一個(gè)人,假如你有錢,即使是傻瓜,也會(huì)變成主人。)這些諺語,與咱們所說的「金錢萬能」、「錢可通神」或「有錢能使鬼推磨」的古老觀念,意義相近。 (現(xiàn)代許多人倒認(rèn)為「錢不是一切」)「money is not everything.」