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| 常用的英語格言和成語
許多人在演講、寫作或談話中，喜歡引用一些格言 (adage)、成語 (proverb) 或引語 (quotation) 等，使其內容更加活潑生動，有時還能收到「事半功倍」之效。我們也可以模仿。
值得一提的是：成語或格言，一般而言，都是照原文獨立使用。不過有時也可用在新的句子里；有時也可用肯定句或否定句；有時動詞時態也可稍加改變；這要看使用時的情況而定。但無論如何，必須保持原文的完整性。在此，先以第一句為例，希望能收「舉一反三」之效。
(1) You can not teach an old dog new tricks ── 照字面意思是：你不能教老狗學新的把戲。也就是說：年老守舊的人，不易改變舊的作風，或接受新的事物和新思想。(Some people find it impossible to change their ways; or older people can not accept the changes or new ideas.） 雖然這句成語可以獨立使用，但只要能維持原文的完整性，也可「動些手腳」。例如：
Stop trying to teach an old dog new tricks; you are just wasting time.（別想教老狗新花樣，你只是白花時間。）
Are you trying to teach an old dog new tricks?
He is impossible. Don't try to teach an old dog new tricks.（impossible 是指頑固成性、墨守成規的人。）
I have tried teaching an old dog new tricks' but it doesn't work.（注：教狗不直接用 teach，要用 try to teach。）
(2) All that glitters is not gold. ── 字面的意思是：所有能閃閃發光的東西，未必都是黃金。換言之，就是許多外表漂亮的物品，未必都是真正的寶貝。因為也許是金玉其外，敗絮其中，或是中看不中用。(not every beautiful thing is valuable. 也有人說成：All is not gold that glitters. (glitter 是動詞，意思是閃閃發光或光彩奪目。) 也可用在句子里：
I told my students that all that glitters is not gold.
還有一句相似的成語：
Don't judge a book by its cover. (意思是：不能以書皮的美丑，去判斷書的內容好壞。)
(3) Pepole (或 Those) who live in glass houses should not throw stones (或 rocks) ── 照字面的意思是：住在玻璃屋里的人不可丟石頭。也就是說，世間沒有十全十美的人，每個人都有缺點，所以不要批評別人。即所謂「自身有短，勿批他人」。(Nobody is perfect' so we should not criticize others.) 類似的，還有：
Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes. (除非你充分了解人家的立場，不可輕易作出評估。)
(judge = criticize; have walked a mile in his shoes = have understood his situation well enough)
另一句是：
Judge not lest ye be judged. (來自圣經)（意思是：不要批評別人，免得將來也被別人批評。）(ye 是古字 = you；lest 是連接詞，意思是唯恐或免得。）就是：
If you criticize others' you probably will be criticized 'too.
所以我們也可以說：
He told his children“Judge not lest ye be judged.”
(4) It is more blessed to give than to receive. ── 意思是：施比受更有福。也就是勸人多多行善，幫助他人。（blessed 是形容詞，意思是幸福的，受尊敬的。）這句話不但可獨立使用，也可用在不同的句子里：
Especially during Christmas time' it's more blessed to give than to receive.（尤其在圣誕時更要助人）
The longer I live the more I realize that it is more blessed to give than to receive.（我活得愈久，愈體會到施比受更有福。)
(5) Every cloud has a silver lining. ── 照字面的意思是，每一個陰云中，都有一點銀白的襯層。換句話就是，每一個不好的情況，也有好的一面。即所謂「黑暗中總有一線光明」。(Something good in every situation; or there is a positive side in everything.) (lining 是名詞，意思是內襯或環襯。）所以勸人不可悲觀，就可以說：
Don't be so grumpy and pessimistic because every cloud has a silver lining. (不要這麼暴躁和悲觀，事情也有好的一面。）
(6) A rolling stone gathers no moss. ── 這是一句老俗語，但還是很流行。照字面的意思是，轉動的石頭，是長不出苔蘚的。也就是說，常常在工作上變動的人，較難得到很好的資歷，也難受到別人的信任。即所謂「滾石不生苔，轉業不聚財」。(One who is always on the move or changes jobs often will not save or keep much money.) 所以我們可以勸年輕人不可見異思遷，到時一事無成：
Don't change your job too frequently because a rolling stone gathers no moss.
(7) You can lead a horse to water' but you can not make him drink. ── 意思是說，帶馬到河邊容易，但逼馬飲水倒很困難。換句話說，有好的建議，盡管可以提出，但不能逼人家做他不愿做的事。因為人家不肯照著你的意思做，還是沒有辦法啊！ (You can encourage' but not force' someone to do something; or you may give someone an advice' but you can't force him /her to follow it.) 例如：
I can not force her to marry him. After all you can lead a horse to water' but you can not make him drink.（我不能逼她嫁給他。畢竟帶馬到河邊容易，逼馬飲水倒困難。）
(8) Don't put all your eggs in one basket. ── 照字面意思是：不要把全部雞蛋放在一個籃子里。也就是勸人不可把一切希望寄托在一個計畫上，或集中全部的財力干一件事。（don't risk everything you have on a single plan or idea; don't forcus or invest too much in one specific area）（注：只用 basket，而不用 box 或 bag，也許因為從前農夫把雞蛋拾起後，都放在籃子里。) 所以可以說：
If you are spending all your money on that stock' you are putting all your eggs in one basket.（假如你把所有的錢投資在一種股票上，那就太冒險了。）
I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.（我不想冒著孤注一擲的風險。）
(9) If you can not stand the heat' get (或 stay) out of the kitchen. 這句話，是過去美國總統 Harry Truman 的名言。意思是：如果你不能忍受炎熱高溫，你就應該離開廚房。也就是說，假如你缺乏精力與膽量，不能承受工作的壓力，或是不能接受尖銳批評的勇氣，那麼你就不要謀求或擔任高層的職位。（這里的heat是指 stress 或pressure；kitchen 是指 office 或 position。）簡單的說，就是：
If you can not stand the stress' you should exit（或 leave).
I know it is a very tough job; if you can't stand the heat' stay out of the kitchen.（我知道那是一個艱難的工作，假如你無法承受壓力，你就應該離職。）
(10) There is more than one way to skin a cat. 照字面的意思是：要剝一只貓的皮，不是只有一種方法。換句話說，要想達到相同的目標，是有很多的辦法 (different ways of reaching the same goal)。 所以可以說：
Don't be so stubborn about this problem because there is more than one way to skin a cat. (對這問題不必太固執，因為有許多方法可以解決。)
(注：只用 skin，不用 kill；只用 cat，不用 dog。)
(11) Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. 照字面的意思是：不要把小孩連同洗澡水一起倒掉。也就是說，不要因為過度熱忱，把好的精華，連同不好的糟粕部份一起扔掉。(Don't throw out something valuable when getting rid of something useless; or don't throw away the good thing with the bad.) 所以可以說：
When you attempt to design a new policy' don't throw the baby out with the bath water. (當你擬定新的政策時，不要把好的部份，連同不好的，一起扔掉。)
(12) Too many cooks spoil the broth. (或 soup) 照字面意思就是：太多的廚師，反而把湯破壞了。也就是說，如果人太多，意見也多，反而不易做出決定。其實一個人作主就夠了。(the more people work on a project' the worse it may turn out; or too many people or ideas may prevent from getting things done.) 所以可以說：
I need to solve this problem myself; sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth. (我要自己解決這個問題，有時人多，意見多，反而無法決定。)
(13) Where there is smoke' there is fire. 照字面的意思是：有煙的地方，就有火。也就是說：一件令人懷疑的事情，背後可能有些原因的存在。即所謂「無風不起浪」。 (suspicious things usually mean something is wrong； or there must be some reasons behind a suspicious event.) 所以可以說：
I don't believe what he has said； where there is smoke' there is fire.（我不信他所說的，因為無風不起浪。）
(14) When the cat is away' the mice will play. 這是一句非常流行的俗語。意思是：貓兒不在，老鼠玩得自在。也就是說，上司不在，部下就會輕松自在。所以 cat 是指任何有權威的人，mice 是指任何的部屬。 (When the boss is absent' employees will usually do as they please.)（注意：cat 是用單數；mice是 用多數，因為一般家里，也許只養一只貓，但老鼠可不止一只吧！通常老板也只有一位，員工倒不止一位吧。） (mice 的單數是 mouse) 我們也可以說：
If teen-agers are alone at home after school' it may be a case of the mice playing when the cat is away.
(青少年放學後，如果父母不在，單獨在家，就會無憂無慮，大玩特玩。) (雖然這句成語句型，稍加改變，但仍不失原意。)
(15) Strike while the iron is hot. 這就是咱們所謂的「打鐵趁熱」。換句話說，就是機會一旦來臨，一定要抓住，才能得到最好的結果。(to act at the best time to get the best results； or to grab the good opportunity whenever it presents itself) (也有人說成：Strike the iron when it is hot) 所以我們可以對年輕人說：
You should strike while the iron is hot. (你要打鐵趁熱，趁機行事。)
If you want to get an advanced degree' you should strike while the iron is hot. (假如你想取得高學位，就應該打鐵趁熱。) (也就是馬上進研究所「go to graduate school right away」)
(16) Don't cut off your (one's) nose to spite your (one's) face. 照字面的意思是：不要割破你的鼻子，而動怒了你的臉孔。也就是說，不要因為一時對他人動怒，反而害了自己。即所謂「拿自己出氣�！�(one tries to hurt others' but eventually hurt oneself; or to make a situation worse for oneself when angry with someone) 假如你想陷害別人，結果反而害了自己。就可以說：
If you try to hurt someone' you may end up cutting off your nose to spite your face. 或者說：
You may be cutting off your nose to spite your face if you ignore your boss all the time. (如果你老是不理睬你的老板，將來反而對你不利。)
(17) Beggars can't be choosers. 照字面的意思是：做乞丐的，就不能對獲得的東西有所選擇。(chooser 是選擇者) 換言之，要飯的，就不能挑肥揀瘦，人家給什麼，都得接受。(needy people have to take whatever they can get；or don't criticize what you are given)（雖然 can't = can not' 但在這句成語里，老外愛用 can't) 所以我們可以說：
When asking for help（donation）'remember beggars can not be chooser. (當請求別人幫忙或樂捐時，就沒有挑選的余地。) (人家給多少，就得拿多少。）
