適合中學生的諺語英語故事
諺語是在漫長的歲月中通過民眾的口傳而來的。所以,諺語中含有反映民族的生活方式、思維方式、語言方式等的豐富內容。本文是，希望對大家有幫助!
：Drawing a snake and Adding Feet
戰國時代有個楚國人祭他的祖先。儀式結束後，他拿出一壺酒賞給手下的幾個人。大家商量說：“我們都來畫蛇，誰先畫好誰就喝這壺酒。”其中有一個人先畫好了。但他看到同伴還沒有畫完，就又給蛇添上了腳。這時，另一個人也畫好了，奪過酒壺吧酒喝了，並且說：“蛇本來是沒有腳的，你怎麼能給它添上腳呢?”
In the Warring States Period, a man in the State of Chu was offering a sacrifice to his ancestors. After the ceremony, the man gave a beaker of wine to his servants. The servants thought that there was not enough wine for all them, and decided to each draw a picture of a snake; the one who finished the picture first would get the wine. One of them drew very rapidly. Seeing that the others were still busy drawing, he added feet to the snake. At this moment another man finished, snatched the beaker and drank the wine, saying, 'A snake doesn't have feet. How can you add feet to a snake? '
：The Raven and the Swan烏鴉和天鵝
A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.
Change of habit cannot alter Nature.
烏鴉非常羨慕天鵝潔白的羽毛。他猜想天鵝一定是經常洗澡，羽毛才變得如此潔白無 瑕。於是，他毅然離開了他賴以生存的祭壇，來到江湖邊。他天天洗刷自己的羽毛，不但一 點都沒洗白，反而因缺少食物飢餓而死。
這故事是說，人的本性不會隨著生活方式的改變而改變。
：The Goat and the Goatherd 山羊與牧羊人
A GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent."
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
很多山羊被牧羊人趕到羊圈裡。有一隻山羊不知在吃什麼好東西，單獨落在後面。牧羊 人拿起一塊石頭扔了過去，正巧打斷了山羊的一隻角。牧羊人嚇得請求山羊不要告訴主人， 山羊說：“即使我不說，又怎能隱瞞下去呢?我的角已斷了，這是十分明顯的事實。”
這故事說明，明顯的罪狀是無法隱瞞的。
：The Miser守財奴
A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily. One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements. He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, " ray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it."
有個守財奴變賣了他所有的家產，換回了金塊，並祕密地埋在一個地方。他每天走去看 看他的寶藏。有個在附近放羊的牧人留心觀察，知道了真情，趁他走後，挖出金塊拿走了。 守財奴再來時，發現洞中的金塊沒有了，便捶胸痛哭。有個人見他如此悲痛，問明原因後， 說道：“喂，朋友，別再難過了，那塊金子雖是你買來的，但並不是你真正擁有的。去拿一 塊石頭來，代替金塊放在洞裡，只要你心裡想著那是塊金子，你就會很高興。這樣與你擁有 真正的金塊效果沒什麼不同。依我之見，你擁有那金塊時，也從沒用過。”
這故事說明，一切財物如不使用等於沒有。