VOA慢速英语:Words and Their Stories: Some of Our Listeners’ Favorite Sayings

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief.  Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live.
谚语是短小，广为人知的俗语，表达一种普遍真理或信仰。许多谚语对生活的最佳方式给予建议。

Recently, we presented a program about proverbs.  We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs.  A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world.  We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
最近，我们推出了一个关于谚语的节目。我们要求听众朋友们将他们最喜欢的谚语发给我们。不久后，我们收到了来自世界各地的听众建议，包括非洲，亚洲，欧洲和南美洲。

The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." This means that you can rise above your problems if you have a goal and work very hard.
听众们最喜欢的谚语是：“有志者，事竟成。”这就话的意思是如果你有一个目标并且为之奋斗的话，那么你就会克服困难。

Some listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot." This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right time.  Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves."
一些听众喜欢另一条谚语“趁热打铁”。这句谚语的意思是最好在恰当的时间里尽快行动起来。另一条受欢迎的谚语是“天助自助者”。

Xu Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs.  Several of them are also used in the United States.  One example is "Birds of a feather flock together." This means that people who are alike often become friends or spend time together.
来自中国的Xu Da-ju写到，说他的祖国有几千句谚语，其中有一部分美国人也在使用。比如“物以类聚，人以群分”，意思是相似的人通常会成为朋友或者一起消磨时间。

Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This means family ties are stronger than other relationships.  A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." A person should help his family or close friends before helping others.
另一句是“血浓于水”，意思是亲情比其他关系更重要。另一句相似的谚语是“仁爱始于家。”一个人在帮助其他人之前应该先帮助他的家人或密友。

Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." That is good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.
来自中国的爱丽娜发给我们的谚语是：“成功要从小事做起”。这对那些操持家中小事或者正在求职的人来说是句金玉良言。

Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is "Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are." Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one: "It does not matter the speed you go.  The most important thing is to never stop."
来自巴西的安东尼奥•约瑟说他最喜欢的谚语是“告诉我你身边的人是谁，我就知道你是什么样的人。”而来自法国的迪迪尔•维梅伦给我们发来这么一句话“重要的不是你进步的速度，而是你从未停止前进的脚步。”

Wafaa from Egypt says her favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." She also says she is making an effort to use this saying in her life.
来自埃及的瓦夫埃最喜欢的谚语是：“三思而后行。”他还表示自己正在生活中中努力践行这句话。

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it.  Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
另一句在听众中受到推崇的谚语是“熟能生巧。”这句话的意思是，如果你坚持做某件事，那么就一定能够做好。还有一句流行的谚语是“如果你想做事做得好，还是最好自己做。”

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."
来自阿富汗的纳耶布给我们发来这样一句谚语：“一点不冒险，就冒失去一切的危险。”

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast:  "Your defeat now is your victory in the future." He says it means you can learn from your mistakes.  This will help you do better when facing similar situations in the future.
来自科特迪瓦的马里厄斯•梅里杰最喜欢这样一句话：“失败是成功之母。”这句话的意思是你能够从失败中学习，这将帮助你在未来遇到类似情形时能做得更好。

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