活用英语谚语17例

活用英语谚语17例

■Beggars cannot be choosers.

【译文】叫花子不能挑肥拣瘦；饥不择食。

【活用】I would have preferred a bed, but beggars can’t be choosers so I slept on the sofa. 我本想要张床，但是叫花子不能挑肥拣瘦，所以我就睡在沙发上了。

■Easy come, easy go.

【译文】易得易失；来得容易，去得快。

【活用】I often win money at cards but never save a penny—“easy come, easy go” is my motto. 我玩纸牌经常赢，可一分钱也存不住——我的俗话是“来得容易，去得快”。

■once bitten, twice shy.

【译文】一次被咬，下次胆小；一次上当，下次小心。

【活用】She certainly won’t marry again once bitten, twice shy. 她肯定不再结婚了——所谓一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。

■You’re only young once.

【译文】青春只一度。

【活用】Enjoy the disco—you’re only young once. 尽情跳起迪斯科——须知青春只一度。

■The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

【译文】布丁好不好，吃了才知道。

【活用】The new machine is supposed to be the solution to all our production problems, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. 新机器按说能够解决我们生产上的一切问题，然而能否做到这一点还有待于实践的检验。

It never rains but it pours.

【译文】不雨则已，一雨倾盆。；灾祸等不发生则已，一发生便接踵而至。

【活用】First my car broke down, then I lost my key: it never rains but it pours! 先是我的汽车出了故障，接着又丢了钥匙，真是祸不单行!

■There’s safety in numbers.

【译文】人多势众。

【活用】We decided to go to see the boss together; there’s safety in numbers. 我们决定一起去找老板——人多胆壮。

■What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

【译文】适用于一人也一定适用于另一人。

【活用】If you can arrive late then so can I：what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. 你可以迟到 那我也可以晚来：一视同仁嘛。

■Never say die.

【译文】不可气馁；不要泄气。

【活用】Never say die: we might still get there on time. 别泄气，我们仍有可能按时赶到那里。

■You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

【译文】你给我搔背，我也给你搔背。

【活用】The contract went to a friend of the chief accountant: it’s you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. 承包合同批给了总会计师的朋友，各有好处、 串通一气。

■Let sleeping dogs lie.

【译文】别惊动睡着的狗； 别惹事生非； 别自找麻烦。

【活用】We decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not take them to court. 我们决定不起诉他们 免得惹事生非。

■There’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip.

【译文】事情往往会功败垂成。

【活用】They think they’ll win the election easily, but there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip. 他们以为能在选举中轻易取胜，但事情往往会功败垂成。

■The sky’s the limit.

【译文】没有限制。

【活用】You could win millions! The sky’s the limit! 你有可能赢数百万，无尽无休!

■ no smoke without fire.

【译文】无火不生烟；谣言也总是事出有因。

【活用】He’s denied having an affair with his secretary, but of course there’s no smoke without fire. 他不承认和他秘书发生了关系，但自是空穴来风喽。

■That’s sour grapes.

【译文】吃不到葡萄反而说葡萄酸（用以指某人因得不到某事物而佯称该事物不好)。

【活用】He says he didn’t want to marry her anyway, but that’s just sour grapes. 他说自己反正不想娶她，那不过是吃不到葡萄反而说葡萄酸罢了。

■Nothing succeeds like success.

【译文】一事成，事事成。

【活用】I won the essay prize then was offered a scholarship：nothing succeeds like success! 我的作文得了奖，接着就获得了奖学金：真是一顺百顺!

■Walls have ears.

【译文】隔墙有耳。

【活用】Be careful what you say; even the walls have ears! 说话要小心，隔墙有耳啊!