2014年考研英语作文中谚语引用的十种方法(2)
6) There is a / the proverb that goes / states, ---
There’s an African proverb: “Educate a boy, and educate an individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community.”
有一句非洲的谚语说:“教育好一个男孩,仅教育好一人。教育好一个女孩,则教育好一群人。”(August 19, 2009)
There’s a Russian proverb that goes: you must support the most talented people because untalented people will support themselves.
有一句俄罗斯谚语说,你须拥戴贤人,庸者仅会自顾。(December 31, 1995)
There is an old Jewish proverb that states: “A Shekel is always better in my pocket than in yours. “
有一句古老的犹太谚语说:“金币在我口袋里总比在你口袋里强。”(August 10, 2009)
7) ---, a / the proverb goes, ---
8) ---, goes a / the proverb, ---
"A river is deep,” an old African proverb goes, “because of its source.”
有一句古老的非洲谚语说,河有源泉水才深。(September 24, 2008)
To kill a snake, goes an old African proverb, you must first crush the head.
有一句古老的非洲谚语说,打蛇先打头。(September 22, 1985)
9) --- have a proverb that goes, ---
10) There exists a proverb. It goes, ---
The Arabs have a proverb that goes, “When the sultan’s dog died, everyone marched in his funeral. But when the sultan himself died, no one marched at all. “
阿拉伯人有一句谚语是这样说的,“当苏丹的狗死了,人人都为之送葬。而当苏丹死了,却无人为之送葬。”(November 27, 1983)
There exists an old Soviet proverb. It goes, “In the monastery, you don’t offer your own view.”
谚语作为群众集体智慧的结晶,多具有鲜明的民族性和地域特色。由于中西文化的差异,一些在汉语中人们耳熟能详的谚语却未必为西方人所理解。所以在引用汉语谚语时,如果中国特色过于浓厚,则可舍其形而取其意,写成英语中与之意思对等的西方谚语。例如,有的同学想表达这个意思:本性难移,于是写道:As a Chinese proverb goes, a dog cannot change its habit of eating shit. 这样写不但失之粗鄙,还会让爱犬的西方人大惑不解。所以,这个意思宜写成A leopard cannot change its spots. 或者A fox may grow gray, but never good.