諺語是人類智慧的結晶,是富于色彩的語言形式,它同文學作品、詩歌一樣是語言的精華,一般具有生動形象、喻義明顯、富于哲理的語言特征。在一定程度上,英語諺語反映了英語民族的文化特點。英語諺語源遠流長,它既有民間流傳的諺語,又有來自《圣經》的、來自莎士比亞作品的和來自《伊索寓言》的,還有很多外來諺語。英語諺語中有許多有關動物的諺語,本人收集了以下幾條:
.Bird
() Kill two birds with one stone. 一箭雙雕;一舉兩得。
() A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 雙鳥在林不如一鳥在手。
() Birds of a feather flock together. 物以類聚,人以群分。
() It’s an ill bird that fouls own nest. 儉不可外揚。
() Fine feathers make fine birds. 人要衣裝,馬要鞍。
() A bird is known by its note, and a man by his talk. 聽音識鳥,聞言識人。
() Each bird loves to hear himself sing. 鳥兒都愛聽自己唱。(自我欣賞)
() You cannot catch old birds with chaff.(粗糠). 用粗糠捉不住老鳥。(有經驗的人難騙。)
() Birds in their little nests agree. 同巢之鳥心兒齊。
. Cat
() A cat has nine lives.貓有九條命;吉人天相。
() Cats hide their claws. 知人知面不知心。
() All cats are grey in the dark.. 黑暗之中貓都是灰色的。(人未出名時看起來都差不多。)
() A gloved cat catches no mice. 戴手套的貓,老鼠抓不到。(不愿吃苦的人成不了大事業。)
() When the weasel and the cat make a marriage, it is a very ill Psage. 黃鼠狼和貓結親,不是好事情。)
() Who will bwll the cat? 誰去給貓系鈴?(誰愿意為大家冒風險?)
() The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream. 帽偷吃奶油的時候總是閉著眼睛。(掩耳盜鈴)
() There are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with butter. 殺貓的辦法很多。(達到目的的途徑很多。)
() Care kill a cat. 憂慮愁死貓。
. Chicken
() Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. 雞蛋未孵出,先別數小雞。(不要過早樂觀。)
. Crow
() A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often. 江山易改,本性難移。
. Dog
() He who would hang his dog gives out first that it is mad. 欲加之罪,何患無詞.
() A staff is quickly found to beat a dog with. 欲加之罪,何患無詞.
() Love me, love my dog. 愛屋及烏.
() Too much pudding will choke a dog. 布丁太多噎死狗。
() Every dog has his day. 人人皆有得意時。
() Barking dogs don’t (seldom) bite. 愛叫的狗很少咬人。
() Let sleeping dogs lie. 勿惹事生非。
() Dead dogs bite not. 死狗不咬人。
() All are not thieves that dogs bark at. 狗見了叫的不一定都是賊。(不要以貌取人。)
() Every dog is a lion at home. 狗在家門口就成了獅子。
() Don’t be a dog (lying) in the manger. 莫學狗占馬槽不吃草。(不要占著茅坑不拉屎。)
() Dog does not eat dog. 同類不相殘。
() Scornful dogs will eat dirty puddings. 狗再傲慢也會吃臟布丁。
() A son never thinks his mother ugly,and a dog never shuns its owner’s home however shabby it is.兒不嫌母丑,狗不嫌家貧。
. Frog
() The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. 井底之蛙,不知大海。
. Fox
() The fox may grow grey, but never good. 狐貍毛色可變灰,但是本性難移。 ,