英文谚语存在着各类型有时逗趣、有时充满哲理的隐喻。谚语投射着前人的生活智慧,不仅贴近生活、易于学习,若能恰当使用在论文中,更能为其添光增色。我们可以将英文谚语分为以下几大类来掌握其用法。
社交类
- All is fair in love and war.(在情场和战场上可以不择手段。)
- Blood is thicker than water. {血浓于水(用于强调亲情的重要性)。}
- A friend is never known till needed.(需要之时方知友。)
- Business is business.(公事公办。)
- Four eyes see more than two / Two heads are better than one. {两人总比一人看得全面(又可译为“集思广益”)。}
- He who pays the piper calls the tune.(有钱的人说了算。)
- Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.(吸取他人教训,自己才会走运。)
- Be stabbed in the back.(遭到他人背叛。)
- Life without a friend is death without a witness.(没有朋友的生活如同于孤独的死去。)
- Like father, like son; like mother; like daughter. / The apple does not fall far from the tree. {有其父必有其子(又可译为“虎父无犬子”)。}
- Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.(患难见真情。)
日常生活类
- Actions speak louder than words.(做比说更重要。)
- A good beginning is half done.(好的开始是成功的一半。)
- Back to square one.(回到原点,重头开始。)
- Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.(不要自找麻烦。)
- Easier said than done.(说比做容易。)
- Experience is the father of wisdom and memory the mother.(经验是智慧之父,记忆是智慧之母。)
- Facts speak louder than words.(事实胜于雄辩。)
- Fortune favors the bold.(天助勇者。)
- Hot-button issue.(具争议性的话题。)
- Haste makes waste.(欲速则不达。)
- History repeats itself. {历史往往重演(泛指后人常犯前人同样的错误)。}
- Good medicine for health tastes bitter to the mouth.(良药苦口利于病。)
- No news is good news.(没有消息就是好消息。)
- No pleasure without pain. / No pain, no gain.(没有付出就没有收获。)
- Once bitten, twice shy.(一朝被蛇咬,十年怕草绳。)
动物引用类
- Birds of a feather flock together. {物以类聚,人以群分(又可译为“近朱者赤,近墨者黑”)。}
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. {不要高兴得太早(在事情真正发生之前,话别说太满)。}
- If you chase two rabbits you will not catch either one. {如果你同时追逐两只兔子,你两只都抓不到(又可译为“一心不可二用”)。}
- Like a fly on the wall.(暗中偷听者;暗中观察者。)
- To take the bull by the horns.(勇于果断面对问题。)
- To cry crocodile tears. {鳄鱼的眼泪(又可译为“猫哭耗子”)。}
- To have the lion’s share.(获得最大、最好的那份。)
The elephant in the room. {(人们不愿多谈却难以忽视的)棘手问题。}