| 语言之于文化，也象语言之于思维一样，是一种表达形式。因此，语言也是各种文化内容的载体。借助语言，可以触探文化的内涵；从表达形式的比较中，可以窥视文化的异同。比如，比较文学，比较语言学等。语言中一个丰富多彩，又广为流传的形式，便是"名言警句"。这些被广泛引用的精炼语句，往往积淀概括了人类文化经验的精髓，高度概括，又琅琅上口。又因为它往往触及人类生存的根本课题，且具有较深的历史渊源，所以不同文化中，往往可以见到相似的表达。学过外语的朋友多多少少都会接触过类同于本族语的名言警句。下面试举一些多年学习英文所积累的中英文名言警句，与大家一起欣赏不同文化的共同经验积累。最相似的一类，其表达方式与内容几乎完全相同，看起来就好像是直接的翻译。比如：
To strike while the iron is hot.
趁热打铁。
Good luck would never come in pairs.
福不双至。
Fire proves gold, adversity proves men.
烈火显真金，逆境识英雄。
Long hair and short wit.
头发长，见识短。
Blood is thicker than water.
血浓于水。
If you would not be known to do anything, never do it.
若要人不知，除非己莫为。
In unity here is strength.
团结就是力量。
He whose belly is full believes not him who is fasting.
饱汉不知饿汉饥。
Easier said than done.
说时容易做时难。
Idleness is the root of all evil.
懒惰是万恶之源。
Wall has ears.
隔墙有耳。
这类对应谚语，从形式上几乎看不出任何文化差异。在谚语的起源上，有些甚至可能是相互的借鉴或翻译。东西方文化交流的比较研究，或许会提供一些证据。但不同文化中能有如此相通的谚语流传，也说明人类社会的文化积累过程有很多基本的共同进程。
还有一类谚语，所表达的含义完全相同，但所隐喻于的事物略有文化上的差异。比如：
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
宁做鸡头，不做凤尾。
The foremost dog catches the hare.
早起的鸟儿有虫吃。
Every potter praises his own pot.
老王卖瓜，自卖自夸。
The fox preys farthest from home.
兔子不吃窝边草。
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
要知道梨子的滋味，最好是亲口尝一尝。
One swallow does not make a summer.
一花独放不是春。
One drop of poison infects the whole tun of wine.
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅粥。
Set a fox to keep one's geese.
引狼入室。
What do you expect from a pig but a grunt?
狗嘴里吐不出象牙
He that comes of a hen must scrape.
老鼠的儿子会打洞。
When the cat's away, the mice will play.
山中无老虎，猴子称大王。
鸡头凤尾对狗头狮尾；鸟儿吃虫对应狗逮兔子；卖瓜变成卖瓦罐等。这种借喻事物上的差别，并不影响所表达的思想，内容的一致。中文的某些谚语来自文化传统中的典故，英文也许有此原因。比如凤凰在中国文化中具有很突出的象征意义，而不同与凤凰在西方文化中的含义。
第三类谚语也是表达的内容相同，但语言表达方式有异：
Sink or swim.
不进则退。
He that had no cross deserves no crown.
不吃苦中苦，难得人上人。
Jack of all trades, master of none.
博而不专。
Opportunity seldom knocks twice.
机不可失
A miss is as good as a mile.
失之毫厘，谬以千里。
Better to be sure than sorry.
宁可信其有，不可信其无。
Enough is as good as a feast
知足者常乐
Who spits against heaven, it falls in his face.
自作自受
An unfortunate man would be drowned in a tea-cup.
人倒霉喝凉水都塞牙
Rome was not built in a day.
冰冻三尺非一日之寒
It takes two to make a quarrel.
一个巴掌拍不响
Failures are the pillars of success.
失败是成功之母
Truth needs not many words.
有理不在声高
To pay him back in his own coin.
即以其人之道，还治其人之身
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