Willis 手記

Actions speak louder than words.

行為比言語更具說服力、作而言不如起而行。

 

All is well that ends well.

只要結局完美，一切皆完美。

 

All roads lend to Rome.

條條大路通羅馬，達成一個目標的方法不止一種。

 

All that glitters is not gold.

閃亮的未必全是金，勿以外表評斷人或事物之內涵。

 

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

光是工作沒有娛樂會使人變得呆頭呆腦，工作娛樂並重。

 

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

以牙還牙，以眼還眼。

 

As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.

與其為偷一隻小羊而被吊死，還不如偷一隻大羊而被吊死。

 

In for a penny, in for a pound.

一不做，二不休。

 

Barking dogs seldom bite.

吠叫的狗不咬人，喧囂者不見得真會行動。

 

Beauty is but skin-deep. (Beauty is only skin-deep.)

美麗僅是一層皮，人品較美貌重要。

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

情人眼裡出西施，若無權選擇就不能太挑剔。

 

Better late than never.

遲了總比不做好，亡羊補牢猶未為晚。

 

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.

在地獄統制勝於在天堂服務，寧為雞首勿為牛後。

 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

手中一隻鳥植林中兩隻鳥，要把握既有的，勿好高鶩遠。

 

Birds of a feather flock together.

羽毛相同的鳥會群聚在一起，物以類聚。

 

Blood is thinker than water.

血濃於水，親人總比外人親。

 

Charity begins at home.

慈善從家中開始，先愛自家人在愛別人。

 

Constant dripping wears away the stone.

滴水穿石，持久的努力會有驚人的成效。

 

Curiosity killed the cat.

好奇心殺死一隻貓，勿過於好奇。

 

Diamond cut diamond. (cut or cuts亦可)

棋逢對手，強中自有強中手。

 

Discretion is the better part of valor.

勇敢貴審慎，勿逞匹夫勇。

 

Do in Rome as the Rome do.

身在羅馬就要像羅馬人一樣地行事，入境隨俗。

 

Do to others as you would be done by. (Do as you would be done by.)

己所欲，施於人。

 

Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

勿小題大作，言過其實。

 

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

不要把所有的蛋放在一個籃子裡，謹慎行事，勿孤注一擲。

 

Don’t put the cart before the horse.

勿以車拉馬，本末倒置。

 

Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.

勿當眾洗髒衣物，家醜不要外揚。

 

A drowning man will clutch at a straw.

快淹死的人連一根稻草都會抓住，絕望的人不會放棄任何渺茫的機會。

 

Early birds catch at a straw.

早起的鳥兒有蟲吃，及早行事佔先機。

 

Easier said than done. (Saying is one thing, and doing another.)

說來容易做來難。(說是一回事，做又是另外一回事)

 

Empty vessels make the most sound.

空瓶子發出的聲音最大，半瓶子晃蕩，愚人愛吹噓多話。

 

The end justifies the means.

一件事的結果可為其手段辯護，未達目的不擇手段。

 

Every cloud has a silver lining.

烏雲也有明亮的背面，否極泰來、撥雲見日。

 

Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.

每家的櫃櫥裡都有一副骷髏，家家都有難以外揚的家醜。

 

Everybody’s business is nobody’s business.

眾人之事沒人管，三個和尚沒水喝。

 

Example is more efficacious than precept. (Example is better than precept.)

言教不如身教。

 

Failure is the mother of success.

失敗為成功之母。

 

Familiarity breeds contempt.

親暱招致輕蔑。

 

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

天使畏於涉入之處於人勇於衝入。

 

A friend in need is a friend indeed.

急難中的朋友才是真朋友，患難見真交。

 

Give a dog a bad name and hang him.

把一隻狗加個罪名就可以吊死它，人言可畏。

 

Give the devil his due.

既使對惡魔也當公平待之。

 

God helps those who help themselves.

自助者天助之。

 

The grass is always greener on the other side of fence. (fence=hill)

欄杆(或山)另一邊的草總是更綠一些，人總是不滿現狀。

 

Handsome is as handsome does.

行為善者方為美，善即是美。

 

Haste makes waste. (More haste, less speed.)

欲速則不達。

 

He who laughs last laughs best.

最後笑的人笑得最開心。

 

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

出錢的人有權利做決定。

 

History repeats itself.

歷史重演。

 

Home us where the heart is.

家是心所在的地方。

 

Honesty is the best policy.

誠實乃上策。

 

If anything can go wrong, it will.

只要一件事有可能出錯，他就會出錯。

 

It never rains but pours.

平常不下雨，一下就傾盆，禍不單行。屋漏偏逢連夜雨

 

It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

任何事情皆是對人有好處也有壞處，塞翁失馬，焉知非福。

 

It’s dogged that does it.

天下無難事，只怕有心人。

 

It’s no use crying over spilt milk.

為已經灑在地上的牛奶而哭泣是每有用的，覆水難收，勿突然悲傷。

 

A leopard cannot change its spots.

一隻豹無法改變牠身上的斑點，江山易改，本性難移。

 

Let bygones be bygones.

事情過了就算了。

 

Let sleeping dogs lie.

讓睡覺的狗躺著，多一事不如少一事，不要自找麻煩。

 

A little learning is a dangerous thing.

一知半解的知識是很危險的。

 

Live and let live.

自己活也讓別人活，勿干涉別人，要相互容忍。

 

Make hay white the sun shine,

陽光照射時當晒稻草，行事需及時。

 

A man is known by the company he keeps.

由一個人的所交的朋友可了解這個人，觀其友而知其人。

 

Man proposes, God disposes.

謀事在人，成事在天。

 

A man’s home is his castle.

一個人的家就是他的城堡。

 

Many a little makes a mickle.

積少成多，聚沙成塔。

 

A miss is as good as a mile.

差一點就是差很遠，小輸也是輸。

 

Money makes the more (to) go. (Money talks.)

有錢能使鬼推磨。

 

Necessity is the mother of invention.

需要為發明之母。

 

Never do things by halves.

做事務做一半，勿半途而廢。

 

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

勿對別人送自己的禮物挑剔。

 

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

今天能做的事絕勿拖到明天，今日事今日畢。

 

Never trouble troubles till trouble troubles you.

麻煩未上門前勿自找麻煩。

 

New brooms sweep clean.

新的掃把掃得乾淨，新官上任三把火。

 

No news is good news.

沒有消息就算是好消息。

 

No pains, no gains.

不努力就沒有收穫。一分耕紜一分收穫。

 

Nothing succeeds like success.

一事成功，萬事順暢。

 

A penny saved is a penny gained.

省下一分前就等於賺得一分錢，能省則省。

 

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

住在玻璃屋中的人不可亂丟石頭，自身有短，勿惹他人。

 

The pot calls the kettle black.

五十步笑百步。

 

Practice makes perfect.

熟能生巧。

 

Prevention is better than cure.

預防勝於治療。

 

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

滾石不生苔，轉業不聚財。

 

Rome was not built in a day.

羅馬不是一天造成的，欲成大事非一蹴可得的。

 

Seeing is believing. (To see is to believe.)

眼見為信，百聞不如一見。

 

Slow and steady wines the race.

緩而穩，操勝算。

 

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

省下棒子，寵壞小孩，不打不成器。

 

Speech is silver but silence is golden.

言語是銀，沉默是金。

 

Still waters run deep.

流靜水深，人靜心深。

 

A stitch in time saves nine.

及時縫一針省下將來縫九針，及時行事，事半功倍。

 

Strike while the iron is hot.

打鐵趁熱，把握時機及時行樂。

 

There is no place like home. (East or west, home is best.)

沒有一個地方能比得上家，家是最溫暖的。(金窩、銀窩、不如自己的狗窩)

 

There is no smoke without fire. (Where there is smoke, there is fire.)

有菸之處必有火，無風不起浪，事出必有因。

 

Those whom the gods love die young.

好人短命，才子短命。

 

Time and tide wait for no man.

時光與潮水不待人，光陰不待人。歲月不等人

 

Time flies like an arrow.

時光似箭。

 

To err is human; to forgive, divine.

犯錯乃人之常情，能原諒別人則很神聖。

 

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

今天是你往後生活中的第一天，把握今天，勿計較過去。

 

Pardon is the most glorious revenge.

寬恕是最大的報復。

 

A friend is never known till a man has need.

需要之時方知友。

 

Every jack has his jack.

天涯何處無芳草。

 

Even Homer sometimes nods.

人非聖賢，孰能無過。

 

Pure gold can stand the test of fire.

真金不怕火煉。

 

Simple duty hath no place for fear.

惟盡責者可以無懼。

 

It is safer being meek than fierce.

謙遜較暴躁為安全。

 

Mind is ever the ruler of the universes.

心是萬物的統治者。

 

Your honor first, your desires after.

榮信第一，慾望其次。

There is no accounting for tastes.

人之嗜好不可以理喻。

 

Great souls suffer in silence.

惟偉人始能在緘默中受苦難。

 

A burthen of one’s own choice is not felt.

自己選擇的擔子不其負重。

 

The early bird catches (gets) the worm.

捷足先登。

 

You cannot judge things by their appearance.

人不可貌相。

 

It is a piece of cake.

易如反掌。

 

You can't eat your cake and have it, too.

魚與熊掌不可兼得。

 

Live and learn.

活到老學到老。

 

It's never too late to learn.

學不厭老。

 

Where there is a will, there is a way.

有志者事竟成。

 

Little by little and bit by bit.

聚沙成塔。

 

Health is better than wealth.

健康勝於財富。

 

Well begun is half done.

好的開始是成功的一半。

 

There is no short cut to learning.

學習沒有捷徑。

 

Don't put on airs.

不要打腫臉充胖子。

 

Once bitten, twice shy.

一朝被蛇咬、十年怕草繩。

 

Knowledge is power.

知識就力量。

 

After rain comes sunshine.

雨過天晴。

 

Beauty is in the eye of beholder.

情人眼裡出西施。

 

Age before beauty.

年長勝於美貌。

 

Cross that bridge when you come to it, that bridge when you come to it.

船到橋頭自然直。

 

Anything is possible, if you just believe.

任何事都有可能、只要你有信心。

 

We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.

人越謙虛、就越間竟崇高。

 

Pride goes before fall.

驕者必敗。

 

Make hay while the sun shines.

把握時機、不要錯過機會。

 

If you want to be unique, be yourself.

如果你想要當一個獨特的人，就好好當你自己。

 

Nothing venture, nothing gain

不入虎穴，焉得虎子。

 

Opportunity seldom knocks twice.

機會很少敲兩次門。

 

Not to advance is to go back.

不進則退。

 

Tall trees catch much wind.

樹大招風。

 

Turning over a new leaf.

改頭換面。

 

Money doesn't grow on tress

錢不是從天上掉下來的。

 

In doing, we learn.

從做中學。

 

Though old and wise, yet still advice.

不恥下問。

 

Take a back seat.

甘拜下風。

 

After a storm, comes calm.

否極泰來

 

Union is strength

團結就是力量

 

Quick to act.

當機立斷

 

Where there's life, there's hope.

活著就有希望

 

Honesty is the best policy.

誠實是上策

 

An hour in morning is worth two in the evening.

一日之計在於晨

 

Tomorrow is another day.

明天是新的開始

 

God helps those who help themselves.

天助自助者

 

A word spoken is past recalling.

一言既出駟馬難追

 

Faith will move a mountain.

信心可移山

 

Reading makes a full man.

讀書使人成為完善的人

 

Saying is one thing, doing is another.

說比做容易

 

Great hopes make great men.

有志者是竟成

 

It is easy to be wise after the event.

經一事 ,長一智

 

Good medicine tastes bitter.

良藥苦口 ,中言逆耳

 

There is no royal road to learning.

學問無捷徑

 

Variety is the spice of life.

變化是生活的香料

 

Love makes the world go around.

愛使世界運轉

 

Experience is the best teacher.

經驗是最好的老師

 

I help others, and others help me.

我為人人,人人為我

 

Don't make fun of anyone.

不要取笑別人

 

Every minute counts.

分秒必爭

 

Think twice before you do.

三思而後行

 

Enough is as good as feast.

知足常樂.

 

Every man has his taste.

人各有所好

 

What's done cannot be undone.

覆水難收

 

Time and tide wait for no man.

歲月不待人

 

Don't break a promise.

不要違背承諾.