英语谚语|熟语|格言|警句大全

关于谚语

中国英语学习网  周玉亮

谚语从广义上讲包括一个民族或一个地区广为流传的民谚俗语和格言名句。从整体上讲，谚语基本上是一个民族千百年来全体人民在生产和生活当中所产生的智慧的积淀与结晶，因而具有较强的群众基础和旺盛的生命力。谚语不仅在民间广为传播，而且还频繁地出现于各种形式的文学作品当中。在现代媒体诸如报刊杂志、影视广播当中也随处可见谚语的踪影。另外，谚语具有音美、形美、意美的特征且包罗万象，堪称一部高度浓缩的百科全书。从语言形式上看，谚语往往措辞简练、对仗工整、充分使用各种修辞方式。从音韵角度来看，谚语又富有乐感、音韵和谐、便于记诵。用语或典雅庄重或生动活泼、充满着生活气息。作为民族文化的高度浓缩，谚语内容覆盖面极为广阔，可谓包罗万象、蔚为大观。窥一斑而见全豹，透过谚语这一特殊语言文化层面，我们可以看到一个民族在其社会、文化、心理、以及哲学思辩等方面所独具的风采与魅力。简言之，谚语具有言简意丰的特点，富有思想性、艺术性、哲理性。因此，谚语的重要性不容忽视。

Francis Bacon once commented that “the genius, wit and spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs.” Covering the widest possible range of areas from the deepest philosophic contemplation of universal significance to the commonest daily activities of every household, proverbs have long been justifiably entitled a highly condensed encyclopedia of a nation and its culture. As a special plane of language and culture, proverbs reflect almost every aspect of the features of a nation: its historical process, geographic condition, folk customs, social system, cultural heritage, national psycho-traits, philosophic trends, religious tradition and so on. Therefore the importance of proverbs is quite obvious.

In addition, the frequent appearance of proverbs in newspapers, magazines, literary works, TV and radio programs, and even in daily speeches suggests that proverbs indeed have an inexhaustible life. After all they are crystallization of folk wisdom of a nation over the ages. In almost every aspect of the daily use of one’s mother tongue or the foreign language one is learning, namely in such activities as listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating, proverbs are now and then involved and oftentimes play a significant role. In this sense, a good command of some fundamental proverbs of one’s mother tongue and especially those of the foreign language one is learning appears to be both essential and important.