English Proverb Dictionary

Author: (English) Manser, Editor-in-Chief / Xu Jihong / Huang Jianing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: We often use proverbs in our daily lives, such as "Strike while the iron is hot," "Good things never travel far, but bad things spread like wildfire," and "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." What are the origins of these vivid expressions, and how did they come to be widely used? The English Proverb Dictionary collects over 1,500 historical and contemporary proverbs, explaining their meanings and origins, offering readers inspiration, advice, and life lessons. English proverbs are arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the noun (excluding articles), and all are translated into Chinese. The Chinese translations strive to preserve the structure, vocabulary, and metaphors of the original English, allowing readers to savor the essence of the source text. Where possible, a second translation is provided, introducing similar or closely related Chinese proverbs to readers. Each entry consists of five components: the meaning of the proverb, example sentences, the source, variant forms, and proverbs with similar or opposite meanings. A keyword index and a subject index are included for easy reference. The English Proverb Dictionary collects both obscure and widely known proverbs, making it a valuable reference tool for linguists, scholars, and enthusiasts.