双语有声阅读:It Never Rains but It Pours! 谚语趣谈:不

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

An hour before midnight is worth two after or so my mother used to tell me as I sat down to breakfast after a particularly late night. But is it really true that sleep before 12 p.m. is twice as good for you as sleep after that hour? At the time, like most young people, I regarded this proverb as an old wive's tale with no relevance to my own life. I mean, an hour is an hour … it's 60 minutes, a.m. or p.m. However, now older and wiser, I remember my mother's words as I scramble into bed at 11 o'clock. I am now a firm believer in the value of getting at least one hour's sleep before midnight!

Advice about how to live a healthy life is one example of the type of received wisdom which is condensed and passed on to the next generation in the form of proverbs. Proverbs also serve to express general truths in a short and colourful way, for example, There's no smoke without fire, meaning that there is generally some truth in even the wildest rumours.

Another type of proverb acts as a reminder of the correct way to behave, for example, Don't wash your dirty linen in public. This means don't discuss personal or family problems in front of strangers or in public. Other proverbs are offered to people as means of comfort in times of trouble, for example, It's no use crying over spilt milk. This proverb advises that it really is a waste of time to weep over mistakes that have already been make. Instead, it is much better to Make the best of a bad job - to do your best whatever the situation.

Some English proverbs are native to Britain, for example, It never rains but it pours, a reference to the joys of the British weather! This proverb means that when one thing goes wrong, many other things go wrong as well. Another home-grown proverb is Every dog is allowed one bite. This proverb Is based on an old English law dating back to the 17th century. The law said that the first time a dog bit somebody, its owner did not have to pay compensation to the victim because one bite did not prove that the dog was vicious. Hence the idea carried in the proverb, that everyone should be allowed to make a mistake without being punished for it.

Other proverbs have come into the language from Latin or Greek. Lucretius, a classical Roman author, created the proverb One man's meat is another man's poison, meaning that what is good for one person can be harmful to another. And the proverb let sleeping dogs lie meaning don't cause trouble when it can be avoided, came into English form the French in the 14th century.

As Britain came into contact with other countries and cultures, English became enriched with the words and wisdom of different languages. From the Chinese, we borrowed the colourful proverb He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount, meaning that if you start on a dangerous enterprise, it is often easier to carry it through to the end than to stop halfway.

Some proverbs have been in the language for 1,000 years, for example, A friend in need is a friend indeed. The message here is that someone who stays with you and helps you in times of trouble, rather than turning their back, is a true friend. Other proverbs, however, are much more recent, and reflect changes in the way that we live.

From the United States come the following two pieces of new wisdom, Garbage in - garbage out, from the computer world, reminds people that computers are only as good as their programs. Form big business we have There's no such thing as a free lunch, meaning nothing is free. If someone buys you lunch, they will expect a favour in return.

[本段无录音]Some English people are reluctant to sue proverbs in their every day conversation because they see them as vehicles of too much used wisdom. Nevertheless, proverbs are still quite common in both written and spoken English and continue to provide a homely commentary on life and a reminder that the wisdom of our ancestors may still be useful to us today.

每当在头一天晚上我睡得特别晚，第二天早晨坐下来去吃早餐时，我母亲过去总是会对我说"一半夜睡一个小时胜过下半夜睡两小时"之类的话。但是半夜12点以前的睡眠质量真的会比半夜12点以后的睡眠要好一倍吗？当时，我像绝大多数年青人一样，认为这一句谚语是跟我自己的生活毫无关系的，这是一句不知老太婆们瞎编的愚蠢的话。我认为，一小时就是一小时，不管是上半夜还是下半夜，反正都是60分钟。可是现在，因为我年龄大了，也比以前更懂事了，每当我在晚上11点钟爬进被子里时，我就想起了我妈所说的话。现在我坚信在半夜零点以前取低限度要提前一个小时入睡，这的确大有好处。

关于如何才能活得健康的忠告就是公认的智慧的一个很典型的例子，并把这些智慧浓缩成谚语的形式代代相传。条条谚语都能用简明生动丰富多彩的方式表达普遍的真理。例如："无火不生烟，无风不起浪。"说的就是，即使是言过其实的流言蜚语，一般说来也总会有点真实的成分在里面的。

还有一种类型的谚语，它所起的作用就是提醒人们举止行为要得体。例如，"别在公众面前洗你的脏衬裤--家丑不可外扬。"这意思就是说，不要在陌生人群中或当着大家的面来讨论个人隐私或者家务事。还有一些谚语在人们处于困境时给人以安慰，例如："牛奶洒了，哭也没用。--覆水难收，悲有何益？"这条谚语劝告人们，既然已经做错了事情，痛哭流泪、唉声叹气实际上都是有浪费时间。与此相反，"要尽最大的努力把坏事干成好事--随遇而安，转祸为福。"这种态度要好得多--不论遇到任何情况总要用最大的努力把事情做好。