西洋幽默语录(之七十六)
玛丽立德 (LITTLE, Mary Wilson), 1880(?)生
美国杂志记者
Beauty in a woman’s face, like sweetness in a woman’s lips, is a matter of taste.
美丽在一个女人的脸上, 有如甜蜜在一个女人的唇上, 是一种口味的问题.
If a mosquito bites thee on one hand, give him the other – palm downward.
假如一只蚊子咬你一支手, 给它另一支 – 掌心向下.
It is difficult to see why lace should be so expensive; it is mostly holes.
很难理解为什么绣花巾这么贵; 它们多半是洞.
Men who make no pretensions to being good one day out of seven are called sinners.
承认自己一星期只作一天好人的人称之为罪人.
It is difficult to tell which gives some couples the most happiness, the minister who marries them or the judge who divorces them.
很难说是谁给一些伴侣更多的幸福, 为他(她)们主持婚礼的牧师, 还是让他(她)们离婚的法官.
Politeness is one half good nature and the other half good lying.
礼貌是一半好的天性, 另一半善意的谎言.
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
没事可做是无趣的; 有趣的是有很多事做而不用去做它.
The tombstone is about the only thing that can stand upright and lie on its face at the same time.
墓碑几乎是唯一的一种东西, 可以直立而同时当面向你撒谎.
亨利朗非罗 (LONGFELLOW, Henry Wadsworth), 1807-1882
美国诗人
And so we plough along, as the fly said to the ox.
於是我们一起犁田, 苍蝇如此对牛说.
It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.
把事情做对所花费的时间, 少过去解释为何做错.
路易十四大帝 (LOUIS XIV, the Great), 1638-1715
法国国王
Every time I fill a vacant office, I make ten malcontents and one ingrate.
每一次我填满一个空缺的职位, 我制造了十个不满的人, 和一个忘恩负义者.
I could sooner reconcile all Europe than two women.
比起两个女人, 我能更快调停整个欧洲.
山姆尔拉维 (LOVER, Samuel), 1797-1868
爱尔兰小说家, 肖像画家, 和作曲家
When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.
一旦文学之痒来到一个人的身上, 什么都救不了他, 除了拿起笔来涂写.
