美國人掛在嘴邊的200句子(1)

1——You can't argue with success

　　Though you may tell someone they are doing something in a wrong way, you have to stop criticizing them if their method works.

　　2——Nothing succeeds like success

　　Like money in a savings account, success seems to compound itself. Aperson who has a small success expects it to be followed by a biggerone.

　　3——The end justifies the means

　　It does not matter how you succeed. Any method is all right if it worksfor you. This proverb is not always accepted. Often one hears theopposite," the end doesn't justifies the means."

　　4——If you can't beat them, join them

　　If you cannot compete successfully with a person or a group, stopcompeting and go join them. Then you can share in their success.

　　5——Always a day late and a dollar short

　　A criticism of a person who never succeeds. The failures may not bedrastic but the pattern of small failures is annoying to others,especially in two areas that Americans value as highly as time andmoney.

　　6——One thing at a time

　　Concentration leads to success. The person who tires to do too many things at once may fail at all of them.

　　7——We'll cross that bridge when we come to it

　　We will not discuss or worry about a future problem. If and when the problem becomes urgent, we will deal with it.

　　8——Don't put the cart before the hourse

　　Do things in a sensible order. For example, do something to impressyour boss before you ask for a raise in pay. Don't ask for the raisefirst.

　　9——All's fair in love and war

　　Do not trust a rival or an enemy at all. His or her desire to succeedwill overrule everything else. Such a people may lie, cheat, attack ordo many other things far more terrible than he or she would normally do.

　　10——When in Rome do as the romans do

　　Flexibility leads to success in unfamiliar circumstances. People maychanges their normal way of doing things in order to fit in better withthose they are visiting.

　　11——Easy does it

　　Some things require gentleness for success. One should not push too hard. Force may cause damage

　　12——The bigger they are, the harder they fall

　　Do not be discouraged by the size of your problem or the fame of yourcompetitor. （the saying is traced to a boxer preparing to fight anopponent much larger than he was.）

　　13——All is well that ends well

　　If we can come to a successful conclusion, let us forget about the pain and mistakes along the way.

　　14——Go for it

　　Go ahead and try to achieve your goal. Don't worry about failing.Similar to this proverb——God provides food to every bird, but he won'tcast to its nest, you got to earn it.

　　15——Every little bit helps

　　If someone apologizes for giving only a small gift, the recipient mayencourage the giver by quoting this proverb. This is especially true ifthere is a huge job to do or a huge amount of money to be raised frommany people.

　　16——Look before you leap

　　Don't jump into a situation carelessly. You may land in difficulty.

　　17——All that glitters is not gold

　　Do not be fooled by worthless things that seem valuable or look attractive.

　　"Fool's gold" is the popular name for a kind of stone that glitters like gold but contains no gold at all.

　　18——Curiosity killed the cat

　　Do not ask too many questions or become too curious about things. Youmay get yourself into trouble like a cat that does not see the dangerin a new situation.

　　19——Don't put all your eggs in one basket

　　Do not risk everything in one place or on one project. Divide yoursources that one failure will not ruin you. Similar to thisproverb——Do not use both feet to test the depth of the river.

　　20——Don't bite off more than you can chew

　　Do not attempt something too large for you to handle.

　　21——Too good to be ture

　　This is often used to warn about advertising. An offer looks good but turns out to be misleading.

　　22——Flattery will get you nowhere

　　If flattery （insincere praise） is recognized, it will not succeed. Onesometimes hears the opposite, Flattery will get you everywhere.

　　23——There is no such thing as a free lunch

　　If someone you do not know offers you a free lunch or other gift, watchout. The gift may be a method of getting something from you.

　　24——Pride goes before a fall

　　Do not be over-confident and careless. Your circumstances may change quickly and the emptiness of your bragging will be exposed.

　　25——Better safe than sorry

　　It is better not to take a risk than to take a risk foolishly.

　　26——Winning isn't everything

　　One may enjoy the process of playing a game whether one wins or not.This traditional proverb is now often heard in the opposite form,Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing!

　　27——Time will tell

　　Wait and see how something will work out. Don't trust a person or thing too much right now.

　　28——The burned child shuns fire

　　Some of life's lessons are learned the hard way. The person who has hadto pay for a mistake will be careful not to make that mistake again.

　　29——There are other fish in the sea

　　There are opportunities! For example, this may be used to encouragesomeone who has just broken off a relationship with a sweetheart.

　　30——Don't count your chickens before they are hatched

　　Do not become too confident of success before you can see that progress is happening.

　　31——Rome wasn't built in a day

　　Do not be discouraged if your goal still seems far away. On a big project, success takes time!

　　32——There is more here than meets the eye

　　Be careful. People are hiding something in order to protect themselves or take advantage of you.

　　33——The customer is always right

　　Businesses instruct their clerks not to do anything that might threatena customer's self-esteem, no matter how unreasonable the customer is.Any complaint of any customer must be carefully and politely heard byany employee. The customer must not be made to feel ignorant.

　　34——Be true to yourself

　　Do not compromise yourself or your beliefs in order to please otherpeople or fit in with a system. Know who you are. Let other people knowwhat you stand for. Do not give in to pressure to conform or to dothings you do not agree with.

　　35——Once bitten, twice shy

　　This may be used to explain the behavior of a person who is overlycautious about something. The wise person makes mistakes but does notusually make the same mistake twice.

　　36——It isn't over till the fat lady sings

　　I refuse to admit defeat yet. Though right now it looks like I mayfall, there is still time for things to change. （The"fat lady" is aninsulting reference to an opera soloist, opera often end with a femalesolo.）

　　37——To each his own

　　Each individual should be allowed to have his or her own preferences.people will naturally choose different activities, goals, life-s, etc.

　　38——Looking out for number one

　　Looking out for one's own personal welfare more than anything else.This is sometimes used to criticize a person who has abused or takenadvantage of someone else,"All he was doing was looking out for numberone." Or it may be used to defend himself or herself,"There is nothingwrong with what I did. I was just looking out for number one."

　　39——When the going gets tough, the tough get going

　　When situation is difficult, only the determined people can handle it. They don't give up!

　　40——Times flies when you are having fun

　　A day seems shot when it is full of enjoyable things but it seems like an eternity if one is idle or stuck with a boring job.

　　41——If it feels good, do it

　　Live according to your desires at the moment. Forget about rules, regulations or consequences. Just have fun.

　　42——Live and let live

　　Do not be judgmental. Do not try to control or punish other people.

　　You live as you like and let others live as they like.

　　43——Variety is the spice of life

　　Variety is what makes life pleasureable. Boredom is seen as a threat and monotony is the surest route to boredom.

　　44——Money talks

　　Wealth has influence. People who make big contributions to politicalcandidates are"talking" to the candidates and expecting them tolisten.

　　45——All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

　　This is used to criticize someone who takes work too seriously. It affirms that play is as an essential part of human life.

　　46——The more the merrier

　　This is a way of welcoming someone to participate. It means, the bigger the group, the bigger the party.

　　47——A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

　　A thing you already have is worth twice as much as a thing you might get in the future.

　　48——You can't have your cake and eat it too

　　Make up your mind. Sometimes one must choose between two very desirable things, giving up one thing in order to enjoy the other.

　　49——There is more than one way to skin a cat

　　Any of several methods may bring about the desired result. Each personmay choose the method that best suits her. If one method does not work,choose a different one and try again.

　　50——One man's meat is another man's poison

　　Since the same thing may affect different people in different ways,each person must choose the things that will work in his or herparticular case.

　　51——Love finds a way

　　Love is considered one of the most powerful and determined forces inthe world. Two people in love will"find a way" to get together.

　　52——Absence makes the heart grow fonder

　　When lovers are separated, they may think about each other constantly. their love may deepen.

　　53——Out of sight, out of mind

　　This is said of someone not considered important or worthy of loyalty.One forgets about that person as soon as he or she is out of sight.

　　54——Love makes the world go around

　　Love is the driving force in all of life. Love makes life worth living.If you understand love,you understand everything about life.

　　55——Marry in haste and repent at leisure

　　Do not rush into any long-term commitment. In the past this meant,"take your time before you commit yourself to a marriage partner." Nowit means,"Do not commit yourself to anyone you will be sorry." or itmay mean,"Live with a person for a while before marrying him or her."It may also apply to any long-term partnership, such as a jointbusiness venture.

　　56——Talk is cheap

　　Talking is not doing, It is easy to talk about a plan, but this getslittle respect untill one takes a risk and puts the plan into action.

　　57——Love is blind

　　When people are in love, they do not see each other's faults.

　　58——Time is money

　　Time can be converted to money, that is, wages are often paid per hourof work. Managers want employees to do things quickly because"time ismoney." If employees waste time, the company loses money.

　　59——If you're so smart, why ain't you rich

　　This question implies that intelligence, like time, can be convertedinto money. It is used to cut down an ordinary person （not a rich one）who has expressed an opinion as if it is the final word on the subject.

　　60——Beggars can't be choosers

　　Beggars have to accept whatever they get. A poor person has very fewchoices in life. This harsh reply may be used if people complain aboutthe size or quality of a gift.

　　61——The love of money is the root of all evil

　　Greed will lead a person into many other evils such as cheating,oppression and violence. （one also hears, money is the root of allevil, which places the blame more on money than on greed.）

　　62——A fool and his money are soon parted

　　Folly will always show up in the way a fool handles money. Wise peopleare the ones smart enough to guard money once they have it.

　　63——It isn't whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game

　　Playing well and fairly is more important than succeeding. This sayingis sometimes used to console someone who has lost a game. The ideas isthat in spite of losing, one may still feel like a success if one hasplayed as well as possible.

　　64——Money can't buy happiness

　　There are some things money just can't buy. This reminds people thatmoney is not an ultimate value although it often is treated as one. Thesaying may be used as a comment when a wealthy but lonely and wretchedperson commits suicide.

　　65——Nice guys finish last

　　Success is valued more highly than kindness and politeness. Ifunkindness and impoliteness contribute to one's success, they aresometimes excused as"toughness" or"what it takes." This is more oftenapplied to men than woman.

　　66——The one who dies with the most toys wins

　　This recent, cynical saying makes fun of three common American desires—— competing, accumulating property, and having fun.

　　67——Just do it

　　This proverb is actually a recently invented advertising slogan for theNike Shoe company. It may also be the best three-word summary ofAmerican cultural values. It means,"quit being indecisive, Don'tbother consulting a lot of people. Don't waste much times on planning.Just do it and do it now.

　　68——You only go around once in life

　　Enjoy life, do what you want to do, experience everything you can.

　　69——Put your money where your mouth is

　　Get serious about what you are saying. When you have spoken in favor ofsomething, prove that you mean it by risking some money on it in a betor an investment.

　　70——The best defense is a good offense

　　Be pro-active and goal-oriented, not timid or conservative. Aim to conquer, not merely to protect yourself.

　　71——The road to hell is paved with good intentions

　　Like talking, intending is not doing. Actions matter far more than intentions. Actions determine where a person ends up.

　　72——Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today

　　Doing is better than waiting. If you wait, you might lose your opportunity

　　73——Action speak louder than words

　　To know people's hearts, pay more attention to what they do than what they say.

　　74——Idle hands are the devil's workshop

　　When people have nothing constructive to do, they get into mischief.The child who is bored may pick up a crayon and color on the wall,something that would not happen if the child were happily occupied insome other activity.

　　75——You've got to take the bull by the horns

　　Grab directly and fearlessly for the toughnest part of a problem. Don't look for an easy way out.

　　76——Money doesn't grow on trees

　　You have to work for things. Success does not come on its own.

　　77——Easy come, easy go

　　If you have received something without working for it, it may soon begone. You will not be as careful with it as you will be with somethingyou earned.

　　78——Too many cooks spoil the broth

　　Individual action or action by the smallest group possible is betterthan consulting a lot of people. Too much consultation will waste timeand create problems.

　　79——Stand on your own two feet

　　Grow up; act like an adult. Don't ask me to do something for you. Thismay be said to a young or immature person who depends too much onothers. It is like a cow kicking a grown calf that wants to suckle.

　　80——If you want something done right, do it yourself

　　This discourages people from trusting anyone except themselves. Itmaybe said to someone who ask another person to do a job for him/herand then complains about it was done.

　　81——Necessity is the mother of invention

　　When a person really needs something, he or she figures out some newway to get it. This creative initiative to change one's situation isconsidered much better than giving up and accepting things as they are.

　　82——First come, first served.

　　This saying is used when there is a limited supply of something such astickets to an event or food at a picnic. The idea is that no matterwhat your status, if you want some of what is being given away or sold,you must present yourself in person and in good time.

　　83——No pain no gain

　　one must put forth an effort in order to succeed. This saying comesfrom physical fitness instructors. They say that if you do not exercisehard enough to make your muscles hurt, the exercise is not doing youmuch good.

　　84——Give him an inch and he'll take a mile

　　Be careful of presumptuous people who take more initiative than theyshould. If you do someone a small favor or delegate a little permissionor a little power, he or she may take advantage of you.

　　85——If it isn't broke, don't fix it

　　Do not bother trying to improve something if it is already workingsatisfactorily. That is a waste of time and you run the risk ofbreaking the thing while you are trying to improve it.

　　86——There is no harm in trying

　　A person expects to be respected for making an effort even if it does not succeed.

　　87——The cure is worse than the disease

　　While trying to solve one problem, we create an even bigger problem. We would have been better off if we had done nothing.

　　88——Count to ten before you lose your temper

　　Do not instantly let your feelings control your actions. Slow down. Think before you react.

　　89——All things come to him who waits

　　Sometimes patience is better than initiative.

　　90——There is many a slip between the cup and the lip

　　This refers to a plan that has gone wrong. When one is drinking from acup, one intends to get all the drink into the mouth, but this does notalways happen. The plan is good but it can still fail.

　　91——Boys will be boys

　　People will act according to their nature, including some mischief.This is sometimes used to describe irresponsible but not too seriouslywrong behavior by men. In other words, grown men will sometimes actlike little boys.

　　92——One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel

　　Do not associate with bad people. They may spoil you as a rotting apple spoils the apples next to it in the barrel.

　　93——Better the devil you know than the devil you don't

　　People are generally not trustworthy. It is therefore better to dealwith a familiar person or situation than an unknown one. That way youknow what to watch out for and you can protect yourself better.

　　94——Nobody is perfect

　　Everyone has shortcomings. This is used as an excuse for a minor Mistake that has been made.

　　95——The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

　　People are never satisfied with what they have. They always want what someone else has.

　　96——A man is only as old as he feels

　　A person's energy level is more important than age.

　　97——A man's home is his castle

　　At home a man is like a king, completely free to do as he wishes.

　　98——Clothes make the man

　　The way a man dresses will affect the way he sees himself and the wayother people see him. The implication is that if you want to succeed,dress for success.

　　99——Two heads are better than one

　　Two people are more likely to succeed than one working or thinking alone. It is better to consult than to act alone.

　　100——Beauty is only skin deep

　　One should admire a person, particularly a woman, for her deep, inner character and not simply for her superficial beauty.