英语俗语由来(英语俗语的由来)
英语谚语故事
有关于英语谚语故事（精选9篇） 谚语是古人为我们留下的一种做人的方法、人生的真谛。
以下是我搜集整理的有关于英语谚语故事，欢迎阅读。
英语谚语故事 篇1 A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold,which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily.One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements.He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure,and digging down,came to the lump of gold,and stole it.The Miser,on his next visit,found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations.A neighbor,seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause,said,"
ray do not grieve so;
but go and take a stone,and place it in the hole,and fancy that the gold is still lying there.It will do you quite the same service;
for when the gold was there,you had it not,as you did not make the slightest use of it."
有个守财奴变卖了他所有的家产,换回了金块,并秘密地埋在一个地方.他每天走去看 看他的宝藏.有个在附近放羊的牧人留 心观察,知道了真情,趁他走后,挖出金块拿走了.守财奴再来时,发现洞中的金块没有了,便捶胸痛哭.有个人见他如此悲 痛,问明原因后,说道：“喂,朋友,别再难过了,那块金子虽是你买来的,但并不是你真正拥有的.去拿一 块石头来,代替金块放在洞里,只要你心里想着那是块金子,你就会.这样与你拥有 真正的金块效果没什么不同.依我之见,你拥有那 金块时,也从没用过. 英语谚语故事 篇2 In the Spring and Autumn period, a thief had stolen a bell and intended to carry it away on his back, but the bell was too bulky and heavy to be carried, so he tried to break it into pieces with a hammer to make it easier for carrying. On his first hit, however, the bell made a loud noise. He thus feared that the ringing sound might be heard by someone, who would come to rob him of his bell. His fright made him plug his own ears, while hitting the bell with the hammer. The bell sound was, nevertheless, audible to others and therefore to stuff his ears for the purpose of stealing a bell was a stupid action it is as foolish as burying one'
s head in the sand. 在春秋战国时期，有一个小偷偷了一只钟。
他准备把钟扛在背上带走。
可是钟又大又沉，很难扛走。
因此他想用锤子把钟敲成碎片，这样运起来就能多了。
可是，他敲了一下，那只钟发出巨大的响声。
他怕别人听到了钟声会来抢他的钟，于是他在锤子敲钟时捂上了自己的耳朵。
不过，即使他这样做，别人还是听得到钟声的。
所以掩耳盗铃是非常愚蠢的行为，就像把头埋在沙子中一样。
英语谚语故事 篇3 The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat’s days were numbered.The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done,that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible. The man stroked the Cat on his lap and sighed.The Cat opened his eyes, purred and looked up at the Man. A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead.The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?”the Cat asded.“Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?”The Man nodded “yes.” “And where do you think I’ll be when I leave you?”the Cat asked. The Man shrugged helplessly. “Close your eyes, Man,” the Cat said. The Man gave him a questioning look, but did as he was told. “What color are my eyes and fur?” the Cat asked. “Your eyes are gold and your fur is a rich, warm brown,” the Man replied. “And where is it that you most often see me?”asked the Cat. “I see you…on the kitchen windowsill watching the birds…on my favorite chair…on my desk lying on the papers I need…on the pillow next to my head at night.” “Then, whenever you wish to see me, all you must do is close your eyes,” said the Cat. “Pick up that piece of string from the floor——there, my ‘toy.’” The Man opened his eyes, then reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so. “The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The Man complied. “You have made a continuous circle,” said the cat.“Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head “no.” “Close your eyes again,” the Cat said.“Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it,” the Cat said.“Lick your hand,think of me in all my familiar places, think about all the pieces of string.” The Man felt foolish, licking his hand, but he did as he was told. He discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop,and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed.The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone. The Man shut his eyes hard as the tears poured down his face. He saw the Cat on the windowsill, then in his bed, then lying across his important papers. He saw him on the pillow next to his head, saw his bright gold eyes and darkest brown on his nose and ears. He opened his eyes and through his tears looked over at the circle of string he still held clutched in his hand. One day, not long after, there was a new Cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white…very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same. 英语谚语故事 篇4 A wolf was almost dead with hunger. A house-dog saw him, and asked, "
Friend, your irregular life will soon ruin you. 一只狼快要饿死了，一只狗看见后问他：“你现在的无规律的生活一定会毁掉你 "
Why don'
t you work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly?"
为什么不像我一样稳定地干活并有规律地获得食物呢?” "
I would have no objection,"
said the wolf, "
if I could only get a place."
"
I will help you,"
said the dog.狼说：“如果我有个地方住，我没有意见。
” "
Come with me to my master, and you shall share my work."
So the wolf and the dog went to the town together. 狗回答说：“跟我到主人那里去，我们一起工作。
”于是狼和狗一起回到了村子。
On the way the wolf saw that there was no hair around the dog'
s neck. 在路上，狼注意到狗的脖子上有一圈没有毛 He felt quite surprised, and asked him why it was like that?他很奇怪地问为什么会那样。
"
Oh, it is nothing,"
said the dog. "
Every night my master puts a collar around my neck and chains me up. You will soon get used to it."
“噢，没有什么，”狗说，“我的主人每天晚上都用一条铁链子拴住我，你很快就会习惯的。
” "
Is that the only reason?"
said the wolf. "
Then good-bye to you, my friend. I would rather be free."
“就是因为这个原因吗?”狼说道，“那么，再见了，我的朋友，我宁愿选择自由。
” 寓意: 自由比安乐更重要。
英语谚语故事 篇5 Long ago a great mountain began to rumble and shake . People came from far and near to see what would happen. "
A great river will be born."
said one. "
Surely nothing less than a mighty dragon will come out."
said another. "
A god himself will spring form these rocks."
said a third. Finally , after days of expectation a small crack appeared in the mountain. And out popped ---- a mouse.Just because someone makes a lot of fuss, it doesn'
t mean he is important. 山 很久以前，一座大山隆隆作响，摇晃起来。
远近各处的人都来看是怎么回事。
一个人说："
要出现一条大河了。
"
另一个人说："
准会出现一条巨龙。
"
第三个人说："
从这些岩石中会出现一尊神来。
"
等了几天之后，山坡上终于裂开一条小缝，却蹦出来一只耗子。
正因为某人大肆张扬，所以他没有什么了不起。
英语谚语故事 篇6 A lion had come to the end of his days. He lay helpless under a tree.狮子走到了生命的尽头。
他无助地躺在一棵树下。
The animals came around him. When they saw that he was going to die, they thought tothemselves, "
Now is the time to pay him back."
动物们来到他身边。
当他们看到他会死，他们认为自己，“现在是时候还给他。
“ So the boar came up and rushed at him with his tusks.野猪冲到他自己的牙齿。
然后公牛刺伤他的角。
Then a bull gored him with his horns. The lion still lay helpless before them. 狮子仍然无助地躺在他们面前。
So the ass felt quite safe. He turned his tail to the lion and kicked up his heels into his face.所以驴子觉得很安全。
他把他的尾巴的狮子和蹄子踢他的脸。
"
This is a double death."
growled the lion. ”这是一个双死。
”狮子咆哮着。
英语谚语故事 篇7 One morning when a vixen was taking her babies out of the lair, she saw a lioness and her cub. 一天清早，雌狐狸带着她的孩子走出巢穴，看见了母狮子和她的孩子。
"
Why do you have only one child, dear dame?"
asked the vixen. “为什么你只有一个孩子，夫人?”雌狐狸问， "
Look at my healthy and numerous children here, and imagine, if you are able, how a proud mother should feel."
“看我这群健康的孩子，如果有能力，一个骄傲的妈妈应该多养一些孩子。
” The lioness said calmly, "
Yes, just look at that beautiful collection. What are they? Foxes! I'
ve only one, but remember, that one is a lion."
母狮平静地说：“是呀，看看这漂亮的一大群，他们都是狐狸！我只有一个，可他毕竟是一头狮子。
” 寓意: 贵重的价值在于质，而不在于量。
英语谚语故事 篇8 One morning a countryman went to his goose'
s nest, and saw a yellow and glittering egg there. He took the egg home. To his delight, he found that it was an egg of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became rich by selling his eggs. The countryman became more and more greedy. He wanted to get all the gold at once, so he killed the goose, when he looked inside, he found nothing in its body. 一天早晨，一位农夫在自家的鹅窝中，发现了一只金灿灿的蛋。
他将蛋带回家。
让他惊讶的是，他发现这是一个金蛋。
农夫每天都能得到一个金蛋，从此，他靠卖他的金蛋变得富有起来。
农夫变得越来越贪婪。
他想一下子得到鹅肚子中所有的.金蛋，于是他杀死了鹅，但是，鹅肚子中什么也没有。
英语谚语故事 篇9 According to legend, in ancient times a year, ten suns appeared in the sky, straight smoke roasted earth, the sea dry, people no longer seeing life go. This alerted a hero named Hou Yi, he boarded the Kunlun Peak, transport enough god, God opened the bow, shot down nine stretch an excess of sun. Hou Yi set matchless magic, the people respected and loved by many patriots come here Toushi apprenticeship. Treacherous cunning, evil intents Peng Meng also mixed in. Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind-hearted wife named Chang-e. In addition to hunting Hou Yi Chuan Yi, the day and his wife together, people are envious of this Langcainvmao loving couple. Day, Hou Yi and friends seeking the correct path to the Kunlun Mountains, the Queen Mother after this chance encounter, they would seek the Queen Mother of a pack of elixir. It is said that the drug dose can immediately go to heaven immortal. Three days later, Hou Yi mobilize believers to go out hunting, Peng Meng dismal pretend illness, stayed. Houyi rate to be gone soon everyone, Peng Meng backyard holding a sword into the inner chamber, coercion Chang E to hand over elixir. Peng Meng Chang-e know that they are not rivals, when she was critical of the decisive turn open the treasure box, took out elixir swallowed. Chang-e swallowed drugs, the body immediately floated off the ground, out of the window, flew to the sky. As Chang-e worried about her husband, then fly to the moon from the earth into the nearest cent. Evening, Hou Yi returned home, maid cried the day they happened. Hou Yi both scared and angry, Choujian kill bad guys, Peng Meng escaped early. Hou Yi wringing Wawataijiao anger. Hou Yi distraught, looking up at the night sky, calling his beloved wife'
s name. Then he was surprised to find that today'
s moon is particularly bright and clear and bright, and there is a shaking of the figure resembles the Chang-e. Hou Yi quickly sent to the Chang-e, after a favorite garden, put the incense table, put her favorite honey usually eat fruit, Yao Ji at the the moon'
s Chang-e in the attachment of their own. People have heard about the Moon After the news of immortality, have decorative incense table in the next month, the Chang-e to pray for good luck peace. Since then, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival worship in private spread. 相传，远古时候有一年，天上出现了十个太阳，直烤得大地冒烟，海水枯干，老百姓眼看无法再生活去。
这件事惊动了一个名叫后羿的英雄，他登上昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉开神弓，一气射下九个多余的太阳。
后羿立下盖世神功，受到百姓 的尊敬和爱戴，不少志士慕名前来投师学艺。
奸诈刁钻、心术不正的逄蒙也混了进来。
不久，后羿娶了个美丽善良的 妻子，名叫嫦娥。
后羿除传艺狩猎外，终日和妻子在一起，人们都羡慕这对郎才女貌的恩爱夫妻。
一天，后羿到昆仑山访友求道，巧遇由此经过的王母娘娘，便向王母求得一包不死药。
据说，服下此药，能即刻升天成仙。
三天后，后羿率众徒外出狩猎，心怀鬼胎的逄蒙假装生病，留了下来。
待后羿率众人走后不久，逄蒙手持宝剑闯入内宅后院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。
嫦娥知道自己不是逄蒙的对手，危急之时她当机立断，转身打开百宝匣，拿出不死药一口吞了下去。
嫦娥吞下药，身子立时飘离地面、冲出窗口，向天上飞去。
由于嫦娥牵挂着丈夫，便飞落到离人间最近的月亮上成了仙。
傍晚，后羿回到家，侍女们哭诉了白天发生的事。
后羿既惊又怒，抽剑去杀恶徒，逄蒙早逃走了。
气得后羿捶胸顿足哇哇大叫。
悲痛欲绝的后羿，仰望着夜空呼唤爱妻的名字。
这时他惊奇地发现，今天的月亮格外皎洁明亮，而且有个晃动的身影酷似嫦娥。
后羿急忙派人到嫦娥喜爱的后花园里，摆上香案，放上她平时最爱吃的蜜食鲜果，遥祭在月宫里眷恋着自己的嫦娥。
百姓们闻知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。
从此，中秋节拜月的风俗在民间传开了。
这是最短的，百分百正确，一定要选我哦 ;
。
英语谚语小故事
A bad beginning makes a bad ending. 不善始者不善终。
A bad thing never dies. 遗臭万年。
A bad workman always blames his tools. 不会撑船怪河弯。
A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush. 一鸟在手胜过双鸟在林。
A boaster and a liar are cousins-german. 吹牛与说谎本是同宗。
A bully is always a coward. 色厉内荏。
A burden of one'
s choice is not felt. 爱挑的担子不嫌重。
A candle lights others and consumes itself. 蜡烛照亮别人，却毁灭了自己。
A cat has 9 lives. 猫有九条命。
A cat may look at a king. 人人平等。
A close mouth catches no flies. 病从口入。
A constant guest is never welcome. 常客令人厌。
Actions speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩。
Adversity leads to prosperity. 穷则思变。
Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. 逆境出人才。
A fair death honors the whole life. 死得其所，流芳百世。
A faithful friend is hard to find. 知音难觅。
A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. 吃一堑，长一智。
A fox may grow gray, but never good. 江山易改，本性难移。
A friend in need is a friend indeed. 患难见真情。
A friend is easier lost than found. 得朋友难，失朋友易。
A friend is never known till a man has need. 需要之时方知友。
A friend without faults will never be found. 没有十全十美的朋友。
'
After you'
is good manners. “您先请”是礼貌。
A good beginning is half done. 良好的开端是成功的一半。
A good beginning makes a good ending. 善始者善终。
A good book is a good friend. 好书如挚友。
A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever. 一本好书，相伴一生。
A good conscience is a soft pillow. 不做亏心事，不怕鬼叫门。
A good fame is better than a good face. 美名胜过美貌。
A good husband makes a good wife. 夫善则妻贤。
A good medicine tastes bitter. 良药苦口。
A good wife health is a man'
s best wealth. 妻贤身体好是男人最大的财富。
A great talker is a great liar. 说大话者多谎言。
A hedge between keeps friendship green. 君子之交淡如水。
A joke never gains an enemy but loses a friend. 戏谑不能化敌为友，只能使人失去朋友。
A leopard cannot change its spots. 积习难改。
A liar is not believed when he speaks the truth. 说谎者即使讲真话也没人相信。
A light heart lives long. 静以修身。
A little body often harbors a great soul. 浓缩的都是精品。
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 一知半解，自欺欺人。
A little pot is soon hot. 狗肚子盛不得四两油。
All are brave when the enemy flies. 敌人逃窜时，人人都成了勇士。
All good things come to an end. 天下没有不散的.筵席。
All rivers run into sea. 海纳百川。
All roads lead to Rome. 条条大路通罗马。
All that ends well is well. 结果好，就一切都好。
All that glitters is not gold. 闪光的不一定都是金子。
All things are difficult before they are easy. 凡事总是由难而易。
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. 只会用功不玩耍，聪明孩子也变傻。
A man becomes learned by asking questions. 不耻下问才能有学问。
A man can do no more than he can. 凡事都应量力而行。
A man cannot spin and reel at the same time. 一心不能二用。
A man is known by his friends. 什么人交什么朋友。
A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds. 光说空话不做事，犹如花园光长刺。
A man without money is no man at all. 一分钱难倒英雄汉。
A merry heart goes all the way. 心旷神怡，事事顺利。
A miss is as good as a mile. 失之毫厘，差之千里。
A mother'
s love never changes. 母爱永恒。
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 一天一苹果，不用请医生。
A new broom sweeps clean. 新官上任三把火。
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 以眼还眼，以牙还牙。
An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. 一日之计在于晨。
An old dog cannot learn new tricks. 老狗学不出新把戏。
An ounce of luck is better than a pound of wisdom. 聪明才智，不如运气。
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 预防为主，治疗为辅。
A rolling stone gathers no moss. 滚石不生苔，转业不聚财。
As a man sows, so he shall reap. 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。
A single flower does not make a spring. 一花独放不是春，百花齐放春满园。
A snow year, a rich year. 瑞雪兆丰年。
A sound mind in a sound body. 健全的精神寓于健康的身体。
A still tongue makes a wise head. 寡言者智。
A stitch in time saves nine. 小洞不补，大洞吃苦。
A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe. 身正不怕影子斜。
A wise head makes a close mouth. 真人不露相，露相非真人。
A word spoken is past recalling. 一言既出，驷马难追。
10句英语谚语和它们奇怪来历
This is a list of phrases we are all familiar with and most likely use from time to time. The origins of these phrases are often unexpected and strange. As you will see on this list some of them originate in places you simply wouldn’t believe. If you know of any others be sure to share them in the ments. The source for this list was The Book of Beginnings (out of print). 以下列出的是一些我们熟悉的并且经常使用的短句。
然而其中一些短句的出处却是出乎人们意料之外的。
从这个列表中你们可以看到，一些短语的出处是你们不敢相信的。
如果你们知道其他短语和出处，请不要忘了在评论中与我们分享。
这张列表的来源是The Book of Beginnings。
10 Always a Bride *** aid Never a Bride 总是伴娘，永远不是新娘。
This phrase surprisingly was used to sell Listerine mouthwash! To promote their product the manufacturers of Listerine employed the personal experience of girls at the time who desperately wanted to settle down but seemed always to be left on the shelf. First used in the 1920’s it portrays a situation and a possible explanation for the lack of success these girls had. Here is the transcript of the ad: 令人吃惊的是，这个短句是李斯德林漱口水的广告语！为了促进他们的产品，李斯德林的生产商在当时雇用了一些想要安定下来却一直被挂起的有个人经验的女孩。
1920年，广告第一次放映，它描述了一个场景解释了这些女孩为什么没有成功的可能的原因。
以下是广告的全部： Poor Edna was getting on for thirty and most of her girlfriends were either already married or about to tie the knot. How she wished that instead of being their bride *** aid she could be the bride! However any romance of hers invariably ended quickly. There was a reason. Unbeknownst to her she suffered from bad breath and no one would tell her not ever her closest friends. The advertisement sold millions of bottles of mouthwash and also gave the English language a new saying! 可怜的艾德娜快要30岁了，她的很多女朋友要么已经结婚了要么快要喜结良缘了。
她也是多么希望步入婚姻的殿堂做新娘而不是伴娘啊！~ 然而，所有的浪漫与她总是迅速终结。
有一个原因。
大家都瞒着她，她有口臭，没有人会告诉她，即使是她最亲密的朋友也没有告诉她。
这个广告帮助工厂销售了百万瓶漱口水，并且这个新兴的英语也流传了下来。
9 Bark up the wrong tree 错怪了某人 Originating back when hunting was still a major sport this phrase came from when animals were used to track catch or retrieve prey. This applies not least to Dogs. Dogs were used in the chasing of raccoons which was chiefly undertaken at night and were trained to indicate the tree in which the animal had taken refuge by barking at it. Of course even dogs can err and at times barked up the wrong tree. 这句话要追溯到以打猎为主要运动的时代，这时的动物们被用来追踪、捕猎和取回猎物。
这个应用，尤其针对狗。
狗在当时被用来追踪浣熊，一般都在夜晚进行。
狗是被训练过的，可以在浣熊的藏身之树前大叫。
当然，狗也有犯错的时候，它可能对着错误的树大叫... 8 Be on a good footing 有一个良好的基础 A pleasant relationship with other people not least those in a superior position is portrayed as being ‘on a good footing’ with them. There are o thoughts as to where this saying came from. Some say the phrase goes back to a practice of early apprenticeships. It was the custom on the first day at work for apprentices to invite all their workmates for drinks. The new apprentice ‘footed the bill’. If proved a generous host he made friends for keeps. The hospitality would never be fotten. 与其他人，尤其是和那些身处高位的人有良好的人际关系表明了你和他们“有良好的基础”。
对于这个短语是从哪来的，有两种说法。
有人说这句话可以追溯到早期学徒的实践。
这是一个传统，作为学徒工作的第一天，他要邀请他所有的同事喝饮料。
这个新学徒付账。
如果大家认为他是一个慷慨的东道主，他就会交到朋友。
他的朋友们永远也不会忘记他的盛情款待。
Recalling how much it had cost it was said the novice gained ‘a good footing’. A second derivation links the phrase with an early and bizarre interpretation of human anatomy the importance given to the length of one of a person’s digits. At one time the dimension of the middle toes determined a person’s ‘standing’ in the munity. Thus the measurement of their foot decided their status in the eyes of others. Those whom nature and genes had endowed with large feet were lucky to be ‘on a good footing’. Draw your own conclusions on this one! 当回顾这花销了多少钱时，被说成是初学者得到了“良好的基础”。
第二个来历与一个早期的人类解剖学的怪异解释有关，尤其是一个人的足趾的长度。
在某一时期，人的中脚趾的长度决定着他在社会中的“地位”。
因此，他们脚的尺寸决定着他们在其他人眼中的地位。
那些天生具有大脚的人就被幸运的称为“有良好基础”的人。
对于这个短语的来历，请读者们自己得出结论吧。
7 Beat around the bush 兜圈子 Someone who doesn’t get to the point is said to ‘beat around the bush’. The origin of this phrase is undoubtedly from hunting and more specifically from the hunting of boars. A ferocious animal it often hid in the undergrowth and beaters were employed and ordered to go straight in to chase it out. But very much aware and afraid of the animals’ sharp tusks they much preferred to merely ‘beat around the bush’ a practice strongly disapproved of by their masters. 那些讲话不说重点的人都在“绕圈子”。
这个词的来历无疑是来自打猎，特别是打猎公猪。
一种凶猛的动物，它经常躲在灌木丛里，于是人们请来了公猪的克星，让它笔直的冲进灌木将公猪逐出。
但是出于对公猪锋利的长牙的警惕和恐惧，他们更喜欢绕着灌木“兜圈子”，严重违反了主人的指令。
6 Best foot forward 伸最好的那只脚（展示最好的一面） When you are trying to make a good impression it is said that you should put your ‘best foot forward’. There are many options as to where this phrase came from one being that it was believed that ‘the left’ was the realm of the devil of evil and misfortune. After all the Latin word sinister means left and in English sinister has kept its ominous meaning. Hence it was advisable to keep the left foot behind and step forward with the best the right foot first. 如果你想要给人留下一个好印象，也就是说你需要“展示最好的一面”。
对于这个词的来历有很多个观点，其中的一个是：人们觉得左脚是恶魔、邪恶和不幸的领域。
毕竟在拉丁语中“邪恶”这个词也意味着“左侧”，所以在英语中这个词还保持着它不幸的含义。
所以，人们建议把左脚放在后面，而第一个伸最好的，右脚。
But this phrase seems to have e from the fashion world rather than the occult. The saying can be traced to male vanity particularly apparent in the late eighteenth century the period of the dandy. His desire to attract people’s attention and admiration took strange and elaborate forms. At the time people imagined that their o legs differed in shape and that ‘normally’ one was more being than the other. To draw attention to it they kept the worse one in the background literally putting ‘their best foot forward’ and with it of course their leg. 但是这个词好像来自时尚界，而不是民间。
这个词可以追溯到男性虚荣心尤其明显的18世纪末期，那是个 *** 的时代。
他用奇怪和巧妙的形式来吸引人们的注意力和赞赏。
在当时，人们想象他们的两条腿在形状上是不同的，“正常的”一条比另一条要更适宜。
为了使它引人注意，人们把不好的那条腿放在后面，字面上来说就是把“他们的好脚放在了前面”，当然并上这条腿。
5 Bite the bullet 咬住子弹 A person who ‘bites the bullet’ without any sign of fear acts with great courage in the face of adversity. The phrase recollects a dangerous army practice in the 1850s. Soldiers were then equipped with the British Enfield rifle. Prior to using it they had to bite off the head of the cartridge to expose the explosive to the spark which would ignite it. The procedure was fraught with danger particularly so in the heat of battle. It needed firmness and courage as even the slightest deviation or hesitation would endanger the soldier. 一个“咬住子弹”的人，在逆境中表现得毫无畏惧和勇敢。
这词组回顾了发生在1850年的一次军队的危险做法。
士兵们全都装备上了英国Enfield步枪。
在使用它之前，士兵们不得不咬掉枪弹头，使爆炸性物质暴露在火花下，使其点燃。
这个过程充满着危险，特别是在战争的气氛中。
这需要沉着和勇气，因为即使是轻微的偏差或犹豫都会危及士兵的生命。
4 Blow Hot and Cold 摇摆不定 People who waver in their opinions and quickly change from being enthusiastic to showing disinterest are said to ‘blow hot and cold’. The saying can be traced to one of Aesop’s Fables. It was a cold winter’s day and the freezing traveler was blowing on his stiff fingers. 那些摇摆于他们的意见中，并迅速由热情变为毫无兴趣的人叫“摇摆不定”。
这成语可以追溯到一篇伊索寓言。
这是一个寒冷的冬日，一个冻僵着的旅行者正对着他僵硬的手指哈气。
Mystified a satyr wanted to know what he was doing. The man explained to him that with his breath he was warming his chilled fingers. Taking pity on him the satyr invited the man to his home for a hot meal. This time he watched him blowing on the food which intrigued him all the more. Inquiring why he did so his guest explained that he was blowing on the stew to cool it down. There and then the satyr told the traveler to leave at once. He was not prepared to entertain or even mix with someone who could ‘blow hot and cold from the same mouth’. 一个森林之神大惑不解，他想知道男子在做什么。
该名男子向他解释说，他正用他的呼吸温暖他冰冷的手指。
森林之神可怜这个男子就邀请他到他家中吃点热的食物。
这一次，森林之神看见他更感兴趣的对着食物吹着气。
又询问他为什么这样做，他的客人解释说，对着炖菜吹可以使热菜凉下来。
之后，森林之神要求这个旅行者立即离开。
他没有准备好招待，甚至没有准备好和那些可以“从同一张嘴里既吐出冷气又吐出热气”的人相识。
3 Break a leg 断一条腿 (好运) To wish an actor prior to his going on stage to ‘break a leg’ is a well-known practice. A pretty strange wish actually it is meant magically to bring him luck and make sure that his performance will be a success. From the superstitious age it was thought that jealous forces always present are only too anxious to spoil any venture. A good luck wish would alert and provoke them to do their evil work whilst a curse will make them turn their attention elsewhere. The underlying principle is the belief that if you wish evil then good will e. I’m sure it’s called reverse psychology these days. 在一个演员上台之前预祝他“断一条腿”是一个众所周知的行为。
这是一个奇怪的祝福，事实上，这意味着神奇般的带给他好运和确保他的演出成功。
在迷信的岁月里，人们认为一直存在的嫉妒的力量是十分急躁的，它会破坏任何冒险。
一个好运的祝福会警惕并促使他们做邪恶的工作，然而诅咒会转移他们的注意力。
最基本的理论就是，如果你的祝福邪恶，好运反会来临。
我觉得这个现在叫做逆反心理。
2 Bury the hatchet 埋了斧头（放下屠刀） To bury the hatchet means to create peace. With hostilities at an end the hatchet was no longer needed and therefore could be disposed of. Now a merely figurative expression the phrase is based on an actual practice of North American Indians. When negotiating peace they buried all their weapons;
their tomahawks scalping knives and clubs. Apart from showing their good faith simultaneously it made it impossible for them to go on fighting. "
埋了斧头“意味着创建和平。
敌意已经到头了，斧头也没有了用武之处，所以应该搁置起来了。
这是个形象化的表达，这个俗语是建立在北美印地安人的实际做法上的。
当和平谈判时，他们会把所有的武器：斧钺勾叉，棍棒等全部掩埋。
除了显示他们的诚意外，同时，这样做他们也不可能继续战斗。
1 By hook or by crook 用各种钩子（不择手段） The achievement of a goal with determination by fair means or foul is described as getting things done ‘by hook or by crook’. The origin of this phrase is linked with an early British practice at a time when forests were still the exclusive property of royalty. For any unauthorized moner then to gather firewood in them was a crime poor people being the only exception. Though they were not permitted to cut or saw off branches they were free to remove withered timber from the ground or even a tree doing so by means of either a hook or a crook. 不管用正义还是非正义的手段来实现决定的目标被描述为“不择手段”。
这个成语的来由是和早先英国的一个行为有关，那时候森林还是皇家的专属财产。
对于任何未经授权的平民，收集木柴是犯罪的，唯独穷人是个特例。
虽然他们不被允许砍伐或运送木材，但是他们可以自由的从地上或是树上“用各种钩子”把枯萎的树枝拉走。
。
急！哪位能给我简要说一下英语谚语的起源和发展？中文说就行了。先谢谢了
英语成语是英语词汇中的重要精华部分（part and parcel）。
社会生活的各个方面是英语成语取之不尽的源泉（Idioms from Society），当代英语中最常用的成语有4000余条。
许多常用的英语成语来自《圣经》(Bible)和莎士比亚（Shakespeare）等文学名著。
英语成语主要是口语，而汉语成语主要是书面语；
English idiom 字数不固定，而汉语成语多为四字词组。
下面分广义和狭义来论述英语成语。
一、 英语成语的理解 （一）广义的英语成语的理解 从文体学来说，广义的英语成语（idiom）包括谚语（proverb）、俚语(slang)、俗语（colloquial）、成对词（twin words）、三词词组（trinomials）、熟语（catchphrase, lexical phrase ）和习惯搭配（habitual collocation, restricted collocation）等。
现举例如下： 1. 谚语、格言(proverb)，警句(sentence idiom)。
英语谚语常有缩写形式，类似汉语的歇后语。
例如： 1) Proverbs are children of experience.谚语是经验的产物。
2) It'
s no use crying over spilt milk.倒翻牛奶，哭也没用。
缩写形式：Cry over spilt milk. 含义：覆水难收。
2. 俚语（slang）。
俚语为某些人群和地区所特有，适用范围有严格限制，使用时要注意其使用的得体性和意义的准确性。
例如： 1）screw up 弄糟、一塌胡涂He screwed the whole thing up from start to finish. 他自始至终一塌胡涂。
2）Pay off 贿赂 chat up 与异性搭讪 3. 口语（colloquial）。
例如： snake in the grass 暗箭 hit below the belt \
stab in the back 暗箭伤人 cut the ground from under sb. 在某人背后搞鬼 4. 成对词（twin words, irreversible binomials 或 words in pairs）。
英国学者福勒(H.W.Fowler) 把它比作“连体双胞胎”(Siamese twins)，称为重言法（hendiadys）。
例如： beer and skittles 吃喝玩乐，wax and wane 盛衰，weal and woe祸福。
5. 三词词组（trinomials）。
有些固定的三词词组也被归为成语，因为它们大都也是一些固定的讲法。
例如： 1）sun, moon and stars 日月星on land, on sea, and in the sky 海陆空 2）Eat, drink and be merry. 及时行乐Wine, woman, and song. 吃喝玩乐 (二) 狭义英语成语的理解 狭义的英语成语有以下几个特点(The Characteristics of English Idioms): 1. 长期的习用性（Idiomaticity）。
有些谚语有上千年历史。
例如： 1）Time flies like an arrow. 光阴似箭。
Art is long, life is short. 人生苦短，艺术长久。
2）A friend in need is a friend indeed. 患难之交。
2. 结构的固定性（Structural Stability, Syntactic Frozenness）。
英语成语的固定性（fixity）取决于它们的习用性（idiomaticity），其习用性越强，结构越固定，就越为人们所接受。
例：sword for sword 剑对剑, tit for tat 针锋相对。
Diamond cut diamond. 棋逢对手。
Like cures like. 以毒攻毒。
3. 语义的整体性（Semantic Unity）。
英语成语（idiom）也称为混合词（fused words），理解英语成语的意义要从整体上去把握，因为英语成语的语义是一个独立和完整的内在统一体。
例如： 1）rain cats and dogs (meaning: rain heavily) 倾盆大雨 2）wear one'
s heart upon one'
s sleeve (meaning: show one'
s feeling plainly) 心直口快 /
/
oxford.com.cn/
study/
practice/
culture/
2005-05-17/
2354.html 这个地址是专么讲英语成语分类的。
/
/
ednchina.com/
blog/
telenglish/
7360/
message.aspx 这里大概有500个成语ARCHER TAYLOR THE ORIGINS OF THE PROVERB*关于英语谚语起源与发展的文章! THE definition of a proverb is too difficult to repay the undertaking;
and should we fortunately combine in a single definition all the essential elements and give each the proper emphasis, we should not even then have a touchstone. An incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial and that one is not. Hence no definition will enable us to identify positively a sentence as proverbial. Those who do not speak a language can never recognize all its proverbs, and similarly much that is truly proverbial escapes us in Elizabethan and older English. Let us be content with recognizing that a proverb is a saying current among the folk. At least so much of a definition is indisputable, and we shall see and weigh the significance of other elements later. The origins of the proverb have been little studied. We can only rarely see a proverb actually in the making, and any beliefs we have regarding origins must justify themselves as evident or at least plausible. Proverbs are invented in several ways: some are simple apothegms and platitudes elevated to proverbial dignity, others arise from the symbolic or metaphoric use of an incident, still others imitate already existing proverbs, and some owe their existence to the condensing of a story or fable. It is convenient to distinguish as "
learned"
proverbs those with a long literary history. This literary history may begin in some apt Biblical or classical phrase, or it may go back to a more recent source. Such "
learned"
proverbs differ, however, in only this regard from other proverbs. Whatever the later history may be, the manner of ultimate invention of all proverbs, "
learned"
or "
popular,"
falls under one or another of the preceding heads. It is not proper to make any distinction in the treatment of "
learned"
and "
popular"
proverbs. The same problems exist for all proverbs with the obvious limitation that, in certain cases, historical studies are greatly restricted by the accidents of preservation. We can ordinarily trace the "
learned"
proverb down a long line of literary tradition, from the classics or the Bible through the Middle Ages to the present, while we may not be so fortunate with every "
popular"
proverb. For example, Know thyself may very well have been a proverb long before it was attributed to any of the seven wise men or was inscribed on the walls of the temple of Delphic Apollo. Juvenal was nearer the truth when he said it came from Heaven: "
E caelo descendit "
(Sat., xi, 27). Yet so far as modern life is concerned, the phrase owes its vitality to centuries of bookish tradition. St. Jerome termed Don'
t look a gift horse in the mouth a common proverb, when he used it to refer to certain writings which he had regarded as free will offerings and which critics had found fault with: "
Noli (ut vulgare est proverbium) equi dentes inspicere donati."
We cannot hope to discover whether the modern proverb owes its vitality to St. Jerome or to the vernacular tradition on which he was drawing. St. Jerome also took The wearer best knows where the shoe wrings him from Plutarch, but we may conjecture that this proverb, too, was first current on the lips of the folk. Obviously the distinction between "
learned"
and "
popular"
is meaningless and is concerned merely with the accidents of history. PROVERBIAL APOTHEGMS Often some simple apothegm is repeated so many times that it gains proverbial currency: Live and learn;
Mistakes will happen;
Them as has gets;
Enough is enough;
No fool like an old fool;
Haste makes waste;
Business is business;
What'
s done'
s done. Characteristic of such proverbs is the absence of metaphor. They consist merely of a bald assertion which is recognized as proverbial only because we have heard it often and because it can be applied to many different situations. It is ordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to determine the age of such proverbial truisms. The simple truths of life have been noted in every age, and it must not surprise us that one such truth has a long recorded history while another has none. It is only chance, for example, that There is a time for everything has a long history in English,--Shakespeare used it in the Comedy of Errors, ii, 2: "
There'
s a time for all things,"
--and it is even in the Bible: "
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"
(Omnia tempus habent, et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub caelo, Eccles. iii, I), while Mistakes will happen or If you want a thing well done, do it yourself have, on the contrary, no history at all. The full text of this article is published in De Proverbio - Issue 3:1996 & Issue 4:1996, an electronic book, available from amazon.com and other leading Internet booksellers. PROVERBIAL TYPES New proverbs have often been made on old models. Certain frames lend themselves readily to the insertion of entirely new ideas. Thus the contrast in Young . . ., old . . . in such a proverb as Young saint, old devil yields a model for Junge Bettschwester, alte Betschwester. A methodical comparison would probably reveal the proverb which gave the original impulse to the formation of the others;
but no one has ever undertaken a study of this sort. Martha Lenschau conceives the development as follows: Young angel, old devil (Jung Engel, alt Teufel, thirteenth century);
Young soldiers, old beggars (Junge Soldaten, alte Bettler, seventeenth century). The first form made no distinction for sex. When the substitution of "
knight"
or "
soldier"
made the distinction, a by-form for women was invented on the same model: Junge Hure, alt Kupplerin appears to have been the first of such by-forms, although Jung Hure, alt Wettermacherin must also be ancient, since the notion involved in "
Wettermacherin"
reaches far back. The most recent development is probably the Low German Young gamblers, old beggars (Junge Spä
ler, ole Bedler), and the corruption Young musicians, old beggars (Junge Musikanten, alde Beddellüde), which arises from the misunderstanding of "
Spä
ler,"
'
players'
(i. e. gamblers), as '
players of music'
and the later substitution of a synonym. It is not always easy to recognize or identify the earliest form which provided the model for later developments;
and until several proverbs have been minutely examined from this point of view and our methods of study have been improved, it is hard to say which arguments are safe to use and which are unsafe. In all probability, we may trust to the general principles which have been worked out for mä
rchen, i. e. those employed in the so-called Finnish or historico-geographical method. The relative age and distribution of the various forms of a proverb will throw much light on the development. In the present instance, for example, we might regard the old and widely known Jung gewohnt, alt getan ('
What one is accustomed to in youth, one does in old age'
) as a possible model, even of the whole group. Certainly it has given us Jung gefreut, alt gereut ('
Rejoiced in youth, repented in age'
) and as a secondary development: Jung gefreit, alt gereut ('
Married in youth, repented in age'
). Since, however, Young saint, old devil is even older and more widely known, I am inclined to consider it the parent of all later forms. Often other arguments than age and wide currency may be brought into court. Usually, a dialectal variation which is essential to a particular form and which limits it to a narrow area is secondary in origin, e. g. Jung gefreit, alt geklait ('
Wed in youth, bewailed in old age'
) can have arisen only in a region where '
geklagt'
is pronounced "
geklait."
So, too, Jung gefreit, alt gereut originated in a region--somewhat larger, to be sure, than the one just mentioned--where the dialectal pronounciation of "
gereut"
made the rhyme tolerable. A few more illustrations of the creation of new proverbs on the model of old ones will suffice. A familiar German proverbial type employs the notion that the essential qualities of an object show themselves the very beginning, e. g. Was ein Hä
kchen werden soll, krümmt sich beizeiten ('
Whatever is to be a hook, bends early'
). English representatives of this type are rare, but we may cite Timely crooks that tree that will be a cammock (i. e. '
gambrel,'
a bent piece of wood used by butchers to hang carcasses on) and It pricketh betimes that shall be a sharp thorn. A German derivative of the type is Was ein Nessel werden soll, brennt beizeiten ('
Whatever is to be a nettle, burns early'
). This proverb has found rather wide currency. Although the evidence is not all in, the type or at least its ready employment in new proverbs is German. The form characteristic of Es sind nicht alle Jä
ger die das Horn blasen ('
They are not all hunters who blow horns'
), a form which appears to have been first recorded by Varro ('
Non omnes, qui habent citharam, sunt citharoedi'
), enjoyed a remarkable popularity in mediaeval Germany and gave rise to many new proverbs, e. g. They are not all cooks who carry long knives (Es sind nicht alle Kö
che, die lange Messer tragen);
They are not all friends who laugh with you (Zijn niet alle vrienden, die hem toelachen). Outside of Germany and countries allied culturally, the form appears to have had no notable success, except in All is not gold that glitters, which refers to a thing and not a person. Seiler thinks that"
Many are called, but few are chosen"
(Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi, Matt. xx, 16;
xxii, 14) was the ultimate model for these proverbs, but the similarity is one of thought and not of form. Possibly one could imagine a class based on simple balance and contrast, of which the young-old type and the called-chosen type might both be derivatives, but the fundamental differences in syntactical structure speak strongly against a development of this sort. Young saint, old devil is an old proverbial form which has no verb;
Many are called, but few are chosen consists of balanced, antithetical sentences;
All is not gold that glitters uses a subordinate clause. The syntactical differences are so great that an influence from one of these types on another does not seem likely. The full text of this article is published in De Proverbio - Issue 3:1996 & Issue 4:1996, an electronic book, available from amazon.com and other leading Internet booksellers。
英语谚语的小故事
Plug one'
s ears while stealing a bell（掩耳盗铃）完整的英语，后面有中文意思：）~ In the Spring and Autumn period, a thief had stolen a bell and intended to carry it away on his back, but the bell was too bulky and heavy to be carried, so he tried to break it into pieces with a hammer to make it easier for carrying. On his first hit, however, the bell made a loud noise. He thus feared that the ringing sound might be heard by someone, who would come to rob him of his bell. His fright made him plug his own ears, while hitting the bell with the hammer. The bell sound was, nevertheless, audible to others and therefore to stuff his ears for the purpose of stealing a bell was a stupid action it is as foolish as burying one'
s head in the sand. from Huai Nanzi（淮南子著） 掩耳盗铃 在春秋战国时期，有一个小偷偷了一只钟。
他准备把钟扛在背上带走。
可是钟又大又沉，很难扛走。
因此他想用锤子把钟敲成碎片，这样运起来就能多了。
可是，他敲了一下，那只钟发出巨大的响声。
他怕别人听到了钟声会来抢他的钟，于是他在锤子敲钟时捂上了自己的耳朵。
不过，即使他这样做，别人还是听得到钟声的。
所以掩耳盗铃是非常愚蠢的行为，就像把头埋在沙子中一样。
（淮南子著）。
