The most important English Proverbs
This is a list of some of the most important and well-known English proverbs. Below each one, there's a simple explanation.
The meanings of some of these phrases have shifted over the years, so a proverb might have originally had a different meaning than the one I explain.
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1. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
两个错误不等于一个正确。 -
2. The pen is mightier than the sword.
笔尖胜过干戈。 -
3. Do in Rome as the Romans do.
入乡随俗。 -
4. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
“无声无息,亦无所得”, 或 “爱哭的孩子有奶吃” -
5. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
遇到逆境,顽强者逆流而上;艰难之路,唯勇者行 -
6. No man is an island.
没有人是座孤岛 -
7. Fortune favors the bold.
幸运眷顾勇敢者。 -
8. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
自己住在玻璃屋,不要向别人扔石头。 -
9. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
作最好的希望,作最坏的打算。 -
10. Better late than never.
迟到总比不到好。 -
11. Birds of a feather flock together.
物以类聚,人以群分。 -
12. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
亲近你的朋友,更要亲近你的敌人。 -
13. A picture is worth a thousand words.
一张图片胜过千言万语。 -
14. There's no such thing as a free lunch.
天下没有免费的午餐。 -
15. There's no place like home.
没有地方比得上家。 -
16. Discretion is the better part of valour.
小心即大勇。 -
17. The early bird catches the worm.
早起的鸟儿有虫吃。 -
18. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.
别人送的马,不要看马齿。意思是不要挑剔得到的礼物。 -
19. You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
不打破鸡蛋,煎不出蛋饼。有失才有得。 -
20. God helps those who help themselves.
自助者天助之。 -
21. You can't always get what you want.
你不能总是得到你想要的东西。 -
22. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
整洁近于美德。 -
23. A watched pot is long in boiling.
心急水不沸。 -
24. Beggars cannot be choosers.
乞丐没得挑。饥不择食,寒不择衣,荒不择路, 贫不择妻。 -
25. Actions speak louder than words.
行动比言语更响亮。(百说不如一干。) -
26. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
如果东西没坏,就别把它修的更糟。 -
27. Practice makes perfect.
熟能生巧。 -
28. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
厨子太多烧坏汤。 -
29. Easy come, easy go.
易得易失。 -
30. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
不要忘恩负义. -
31. All good things came to an end.
天下没有不散的筵席。 -
32. if you can't beat them , join them .
如果你不能打败他们,就加入他们。 -
33. One man's trash is another man's treasure.
弃物不一定是废物。 -
34. No time like the present.
只争朝夕。 -
35. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
情人眼里出西施 -
36. Necessity is the mother of invention。
需要是发明之母。 -
37. A penny saved is a penny earned(or gained).
省钱就是赚钱。 -
38. Familiarity breeds contempt.
亲不尊熟生蔑。 -
39. You can't judge a book by its cover.
人不可貌相。 -
40. Good things come to those who wait.
苍天不负有心人。 -
41. Don't keep all your eggs in one basketball.
勿孤注一掷。 -
42. Many heads are better than one.
众人拾柴火焰高。 -
43. The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill.
这山望着那山高。 -
44. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
己所不欲,勿施于人 -
45. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
一着不慎,满盘皆输. -
46. Honesty is the best policy.
诚实是上策。 -
47. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
小别胜新婚; 距离产生美; 久别情更深。 -
48. A man may lead a horse to the water, but he cannot make him drink.
老牛不喝水,何必强按头。 -
49. Don't count your chicken before they are hatched.
不要过早乐观。 -
50. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
如果你要把事情做好,就得自己动手。