发信人: roy_young(杨落伊)
整理人: roy_young(2001-06-04 14:22:25), 站内信件
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常用的格言和成語(下)/ 懷中
(18) Don't count your (one's) chickens before they hatch -- 照字面的意思是：在蛋未孵化前，不要先數小雞的數目。也就是說：凡事不可期望過早或過高。(don't count on profits before you earn them; or don't always assume that something good will happen in advance）所以可以說：
I told him not to count his chickens before they hatch because that woman may not marry him.（我告訴他不要指望太早，因為那個女人未必要嫁給他。）
也可用在肯定句：
When he makes a plan, he always counts his chickens before they hatch.（當他擬訂一個計劃時，他總是期望過高。）
(註：這句成語的後半句，有人用被動語態〞…… they are hatched〞，其實是主動語態〞…… they hatch〞，也許因為孵蛋時，經過某種溫度後，蛋殼本身主動破裂，生出小雞。）
(19) One good turn (或 deed) -- deserves another 意思是：如果你對別人做了一件好事，你也會得到另一件好事的報答。也就是咱們所謂「好心有好報」。（one good deed will be paid back with another; or if you do good thing for others, you will be repaid.) (deserve 是動詞，意思是應得或報應。在 another 後面，省去 good deed) 如果用在句子裡，也可以說：
I have learnt through my experience that one good deed deserves another.（我從經驗體會到：好心有好報）
(learn 的過去式及過去分詞是 learnt 或 learned）
注意：老外喜歡用 positive 的語氣，所以沒有 one bad turn (或 deed）deserves another 的說法。不過在美語裡另一句俗語：
What goes around comes around 就有「惡有惡報」的意味。
(20) Make hay while the sun shines -- 照字面意思是：太陽出來時，就該曬稻草。 (因為出太陽的機會不多) 換句話說，就是曬稻草要趁太陽大，行事要趁機會好，勸人抓緊時機，勿失良機。（to make the best of a limited or rare opportunity; or to use the time wisely）(這句話與 strike the iron when it's hot. 頗為相似）如果用在新的句子裡，可以說：
He became a millionaire because he knew how to make hay while the sun shines.（他能成為百萬富翁，是因為他知道如何抓住機會，發展自己。）
有時也可用過去式：
Ten years ago Mr. Huang really made hay while the sun shone.（十年前黃先生真正抓緊良機，發展事業。）
(shine 的過去式及過去分詞是 shone 或 shined)
(21) Bad news travels fast. 照字面意思，就是：壞消息，傳得快。也就是所謂「壞事傳千里」。所以我們可以勸人說：
Behave yourself because bad news travels fast. (要自我檢點些，因為壞事傳千里。)
You should be careful what you say because bad news travels fast. (你說話要小心，因為惡言滿天飛。)
(註：老中所謂「好事不出門」，有人說成：「good news goes on crutches」或「good news travels slowly」，老外倒沒有這種說法。)
(22) Spare the rod and spoil the child -- 這是一句非常流行的俗語。照字面講，就是「不用權鞭，寵壞孩子」，也即所謂「孩子不打不成器」。許多父母認為孩子有時要體罰，否則將來行為會出軌。(to physically punish children may help them behave properly in the future) (spare 是動詞，意思是不用，捨棄；rod 是名詞；意思是權鞭，權威。) 簡單的說，就是：
If you don't correct your child, you will spoil him(her).
我們也可以說：
Some psychologists do not agree with the philosophy of sparing the rod and spoiling the child. (有些心理學家不贊同這種「孩子不打不成器」的哲理) (因為會影響孩子將來個性的正常發展)
Many parents have spared the rod and spoiled the child. (許多父母放棄權鞭，寵壞孩子。)
(23) Blood is thicker than water 這就是所謂「血濃於水」，或者說：「親人總比外人親」。 (family members or relatives are more important than other people) 不過這句話，美國人通常只指自己的家人與親戚。所以他們說：
Don't fight among family members because blood is thicker than water.（家人不可相鬥，因為血濃於水。）
He gave his brother a good job because blood is thicker than water.
不過咱們老中可以說：
Since Chinese people have the same ancestry, they tend to proclaim that their blood is thicker than water.
( 由於中國人有共同的祖先，所以他們認為都是血濃於水的同胞。); 或
As China does not have multiple cultures and races, Chinese people may feel that their blood is thicker than water.
(因為中國不是多種族和不同文化的國家，所以中國人都覺得是血濃於水的同胞。）
(24) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- 意思是：觀者眼裡出美景，或是情人眼中出西施。也就是說，美是沒有一定的標準，只是每個人的看法不同而已。(There is no standard for beauty; it is a person's perception.) 所以可以說：
Although to some she is homely, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.（雖然對某些人來說，她不漂亮，但是情人眼中出西施）
註：這句成語多半用在女人身上，但有時也指男人。因為美不是專指外表啊！說不定，醜男人在美女的眼裡還是「帥哥」呢！
Sometimes a beautiful woman marries an ugly man because beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
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