VOA慢速英语2012 Words and Their Stories: Some of Our Listeners’ Favorite Sayings

Words and Their Stories: Some of Our Listeners’ Favorite Sayings

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.

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.

The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." (有志者，事竟成。) 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." (趁热打铁) This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves." (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 flock¹ together." (物以类聚，人以群分。) This means that people who are alike² often become friends or spend time together.

Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." (血浓于水) This means family ties are stronger than other relationships. A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." (仁爱始于家。) A person should help his family or close friends before helping³ others.

Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." (千里之行,始于足下。) 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." (观其友知其人。) Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one: "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。)

Wafaa from Egypt says her favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." （三思而后行） She also says she is making an effort to use this saying in her life.

Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." （熟能生巧） 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." （自己动手，丰衣足食。）

Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything." （万事不冒险将一事无成。）

And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory⁴ Coast: "Your defeat now is your victory in the future." （失败是成功之母。） 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. 

1 flock   

n.羊群，一群，大量；vi.群集，聚集，成群

参考例句：

• A flock of customers were waiting for the store to open.一群顾客在等候着商店开门。
• A few sheep have been lost from the flock.羊群里少了几只羊。

2 alike   

adj.同样的，相像的；adv.一样地；同程度地　

参考例句：

• The twins are so alike that I can't tell which is which.这对双胞胎一模一样，我分辨不出谁是谁。
• All stories seemed dreadfully alike,no matter who told them.看来，不管谁讲，故事都是千篇一律的。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 ivory   

n.象牙，乳白色；adj.象牙制的，乳白色的

参考例句：

• My grandmother has some jewelry made of ivory.我祖母有一些象牙首饰。
• It is carved from ivory.它是用象牙雕成的。