由Nailgaiman的《美国众神》摸到这本书《Poor Richard's Almanac》,作者是Benjamin Franklin,一个在几百年前叱咤风云的人物。书中很多很多格言谚语,到现在依然熠熠生辉:
到别人家中去拜访,要像冬季的白天那样短,免得被人嫌弃和追赶。
Visit should be short, like a winter's day, lest you're too trouble some hasten away.
轻不过钱包,重不过心。
Light purse, heave heart.
他去了,什么都没有落下,就是忘了和债主说再见。
He's gone, and forgot nothing but to say farewell to his creditors.
语言的巨人,行动的矮子。
Great talkers, little doers.
吃饭是为了活着,活着却不是为了吃饭。
Eat to live, and not live to eat.
多注意安全,少一些风险。
Distrust & caution are the parents of security.
舌头动得快,麻烦来的多。
Tongue double, brings trouble.
酒中想出的办法,水上做出的决定。
Take counsel in wine, but resolve after wards in water .(这个要怎么理解?)
对一个好妻子不负责任,就是随手扔弃上帝的礼物。
A good wife lost is god's gift lost.
笨蛋的心在口中,智者的口在心上。
The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise is in his heart.
天才在自己的王国,犹如金子在山中藏着。
A fine genius in his own country, is like gold in the mine.
寒冬之雪使万物繁荣。
Snowy winter , a plentiful harvest.
清白自卫。
Innocence is its own defence.
想过得好,懂得放弃是第一要义。
Would you live with ease, do what you ought, and not what you please.
宁可失足,不可失言。
Better slip with foot than tongue.
不正义,勇无力。
Without justice, courage is weak.
成功者戒骄。
In success be moderate.
奉献欢乐者得到欢乐。
Who pleasure gives, shall joy receive.
不愚蠢,不精明,但要作个明白人。
Be neither silly, nor cunning, but wise.
空讲道理,不如谈谈利益。
Would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason.
祸福相依朝夕难料。
Happy's the woing, that's not long a doing.
教你的孩子学会沉默,也就是教他怎么开口说话。
Teach your child to hold his tongue, he'll learn fast enough to speak.
肿痛之处容易磨破,骄矜之人容易树敌。
As sore places meet most rubs, proud folks meet most affronts.
不是他左右财富,而是财富左右了他。
He does not possess wealth, it possesses him.
无知者一不小心成了先知,智者一不小心成了愚人。
He that knows nothing of it, may by chance be a prophet; while the wisest that is may happen to miss.
有些人审时度势,有些人闭门造车。
Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.
提问题要提得深入,答问题要答得简洁。
Weighty questions ask for deliberate answers.
选择朋友和放弃朋友一样要慎重考虑。
Be slow in chusing a friend, slower in changing.
谦虚受人尊敬。
Humility makes great men twice honourable.
身体是事业的本钱。
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.(噫,还挺养生的,想起那个养生届最长寿的那个恶毒笑话)
太阳在不求回报地照着。
The sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he demand a recompence.
人在人群中,干吗要生他人气?
Are you angry that others disappoint you? Remember you cannot depend upon yourself.(单木不成林,何必徒失望?)
农夫并不一定粗俗,但粗俗者一定卑鄙。
He is no clown that drives the plow, but he that do the clownish things.
崇拜是因为无知。
Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.
耐心成就一切。
He that can have patience, can have what he will.
以柔克刚。
Gifts burst rocks.
出卖信誉的人财友两空。
He that sells upon trust, loses mangy friends, and always wants money.(这个翻译有点奇怪呀)
理智便是力量。
Force shites upon reason's back.
话多误事。
He that speaks much, is much mistaken.
通向荣耀的捷径--努力争取,做到问心无愧。
The nearest way to come at glory, is to do that for conscience which we do for glory.
不被自己弄晕,胜过才高八斗。
He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.(特别智慧,搞明白自己是最难的学问)
做的好胜过说得好。
Well done is better than well said.
千金易得,知己难求。
No better relation than a prudent & faithful friend.
假如你想拥有时间,就不要等待时间。
If you have time dont wait for time.
世上最伟大的问题莫过于:人生在世能做什么好事?
The noblest question in the world is what good may I do in it?
没有比善良更受人欢迎的了。
Nothing so popular as goodness.
太快乐使人痛苦,太自由使人受奴。
Nothing brings more pain than too much pleasure; nothing more bondage than too much liberty, (or libertinism.) (有意思)
多读书,但不能乱读书。
Read much, but not many books.
写文章要引经据典,说话却要通俗易懂。
Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar .
与人分享快乐,就会永远快乐。
Fly pleasures, and they'll follow you.
想具备高尚的品德,不仅要具备风采,也要具备气质。
Hast thou virtue? acquire also the graces & beauties of virtue.
假如你聪明、有学识,就再增加智慧和谦逊吧。
If you hast wit & learning, add to it wisdom and modesty.
把握不了一分钟,就会浪费一小时。
Since thou are not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour .
做了错事,就得听气话。
If you do what you should not, you must hear what you would not.
阅读使人充实,思考使人深沉,谈话使人智慧。
Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.
好话不怕多说几次。
If any man flatters me, I'll flatter him again; tho' he were my best friend.
素质差的人不知道怎么承认错误,也不知道怎么承担责任。
None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a fault, or acknowledge himself in an error.
玩笑不能使敌人变成朋友,却会使朋友变成敌人。
Thou canst not joke an enemy in a friend; but thou may'st a friend into an enemy.
知足者常乐。
Blessed is he that expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed.
良心不存,必有报应。
If thou injurest conscience, it will have its revenge on thee.
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