Words and Their Stories: Proverbs, Part 2

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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."

Wafaa from Egypt says his favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.

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."

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

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.

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This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. We will present more programs about proverbs in the future. And you can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our website, voa.com.

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

现在是美国之音词汇典故栏目

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.

谚语是一种简短的，众所周知的说法，用来表达一个普遍的真理或信条。许多谚语都告诉我们怎样更好的生活。

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.

我们要求我们的听众把他们最喜欢的谚语反馈给我们。稍等一会，我们将受到来自全世界的反馈信息。我们收到来自非洲，亚洲，欧洲和南美洲的来信

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.

第一个谚语是，”有志者，事竟成”.这个谚语的意思是，只要有决心，有毅力，事情终究会成功。

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."

第二个谚语“趁热打铁。这个谚语的意思是，铁要趁烧红的时候打，比喻要抓紧有利的时机和条件去做。另外一个受人关注的谚语是“自助者，天助之”。

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.

来自中国的徐大菊写到在他的国家有成千上万的谚语。其中的一些还被用在美国。例如，“物以类聚，人以群分。”这个谚语所表达的意思是：同类的东西常聚在一起，志同道合的人相聚成群，反之就分开。

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.

另外一个谚语是“血浓于水”。这个谚语的意思是：亲情重于一切。一个与之非常相似的谚语是“仁爱始于家”。一个人应该首要考虑的对象是自己的家人和亲朋。

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Alina 给我们呈现了这样一个谚语“千里之行，始于足下。”比喻事情的成功，是从小到大逐渐积累起来的。这是一条很好的建议当我们找工作的时候。

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Antonio Jose说他最欣赏的谚语是：观其友知其人。来自法国的Didier Vermeulen说他欣赏：重要的不是速度，而是永不放弃。

Wafaa from Egypt says his favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.

来自埃及的Wafaa说他喜欢这样一个谚语：三思而后行。他表示他将把这个谚语贯穿于他的一生中。

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it.

另外一个受听众青睐的谚语是“熟能生巧”这个成语意思是：要想掌握技术，只有勤学苦练，才能熟能生巧

Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."

另外一个很流行的谚语：自己动手，丰衣足食。

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."

来自阿富汗的Najeeb提反馈给我们一个谚语“万事不冒险将一事无成”

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in : "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.

来自象牙海岸的Marius Meledje最喜欢的一个谚语是：失败是成之母。他说失败往往是成功的先导。从失败中吸取教训，最后取得胜利。

(MUSIC)

This VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. We will present more programs about proverbs in the future. And you can find more WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our website, voa.com.

Where there is a will, there is a way.   有志者，事竟成。

Strike while the iron is hot.     趁热打铁

God helps those who help themselves.   自助者，天助之

Birds of a feather flock together.     物以类聚，人以群分

Blood is thicker than water.      血浓于水

He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom.    千里之行,始于足下

Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are.   观其友知其人

It does not matter the speed you go. The most important thing is to never stop.    重要的不是速度，而是永不放弃

If you want something done right, do it yourself.    自己动手，丰衣足食。