台科大應外系黃玟君老師在聯合報發表"格言諺語學英文"，供大家參考。

Well begun is half done. 好的開始是成功的一半
2008/08/29 
【執筆／台科大應用外語系助理教授黃玟君】 

這句諺語的意思十分簡單明瞭，表示「事情已經有好的起頭，只要加緊努力，一定會成功」。今年Beijing2008 Olympic Games（北京奧運）的opening ceremony（開幕儀式），其盛大的場面及精采的表演令人驚豔。俗話說，well begun is half done，有了好的開始，果然這場四年一次的體育盛事也令世人難以忘懷！
實用對話Conversation

A: How are preparations going for the National Science Fair?

B: Pretty good. We team won the gold on the Taipei City finals, and we got full marks!

A: Well begun is half done. Nicely done!

B: But my project needs to be displayed outdoors, so I'm very worried about it raining the day of the competition.

A: Don't worry. I've already checked with the Central Weather Bureau. It'll be nothing but clear skies that day!

B: Well begun is half done. With the help of the weather, I'm confident that the gold's in the bag!

 

字彙Vocabulary

preparation (n.) 準備

national (adj.)全國的

fair (n.)展覽會

gold (n.) 金牌

finals (n.)決賽

mark (n.) 分數；成績

display (v.)展示

outdoors (adv.) 在戶外

(be) worried about... 擔憂…

competition (n.) 競賽

check (v.)查詢

bureau (n.) （政府機構）局

confident (adj.) 自信的

(be) in the bag 確定達成（某事）

【2008-08-10/聯合報/C3版/教育】 

新聞來源: http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=381&f_SUB_ID=3742&f_ART_ID=145750


Murder will out. 若要人不知，除非己莫為
2008/08/30 
【執筆／台科大應用外語系助理教授黃玟君】

這句諺語直譯是「謀殺（的消息）會走漏」，意思是Crime or wrongdoing will eventually be discovered or even punished.（犯罪及惡行最終會被發現，甚至被懲罰），亦即If you don't want to get caught, don't do it in the first place.（如果不想被抓，就別做它），用來警告人「不要以為你偷偷摸摸做的事情沒有人知道，法網恢恢，事情總有洩漏的一天」。

這幾天第一家庭的海外密帳曝光，震驚社會，前總統還為此召開記者會向全民道歉；然而坦承錯誤並不能掩蓋其之前所犯的錯誤，想要隻手遮天更是天方夜譚。所謂murder will out，果真有其道理！

實用對話Conversation

A: I've finally landed my dream job! I'm on cloud nine!

B: Congratulations! But don't you have to have a master's degree to be accepted into that company?

A: That's right. Hee hee.

B: But you only have a high school diploma...Did you forge a diploma?

A: Yeah, yeah, you got me. But this only proves that I'm really good. Otherwise, how could I have fooled that whole bunch of interviewers?

B: Murder will out. Be careful, the skeleton will one day fall out of the closet.

 

字彙Vocabulary

land (v.)（口語）弄到；撈到

cloud nine（口語）極度高興

congratulations (n.) 恭喜

master's degree 碩士學位

diploma (n.) 文憑

forge (v.) 偽造

get (v.) 捉到；逮到

prove (v.) 證明

otherwise (adv.) 否則；不然

fool (v.) 欺騙

bunch (n.) 群；束

interviewer (n.) 面試官

murder (n.) 謀殺

skeleton (n.)骸骨

fall out 掉落

closet (n.) 壁櫥

【2008-08-17/聯合報/C3版/教育】 

新聞來源: http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=381&f_SUB_ID=3742&f_ART_ID=145751


Birds of a feather flock together. 物以類聚
2008/08/31 
【執筆／台科大應用外語系助理教授黃玟君】

這句諺語直譯是「同種羽毛的鳥喜歡聚集在一起」，意思就是「有同樣性格、興趣、品味、好惡…等的人喜歡聚在一起」。這句話可以用在正面或負面情況上（其中又以負面的情況較多），例如你可以說幾個都喜歡讀書的人「物以類聚」，也可以說幾個喜歡賭博的人「物以類聚」。這句諺語也可簡寫為：Birds of a feather.，例如：We're birds of a feather, you know.（我們是物以類聚，你懂吧）。

說起「物以類聚」，那真是一點也不錯，例如台灣的演藝圈有「蔡幫」、名媛圈有「紅豆幫」、連政壇都有「三寶」！這次鬧得沸沸揚揚的前第一家庭 (the former first family)洗錢案 (money laundering case)更是birds of a feather flock together的實證，因為扁珍的行為固然惡劣，說穿了還是因為其身邊圍繞著一群與之相似的貪婪走狗。沒有這些政客的「交相利」及令人不齒的司法掩護及行政配合，前第一家庭哪敢如此肆無忌憚地撈錢？

實用對話Conversation

A: Have you noticed that Jack, Allan, and John do everything together?

B: Oh, really?

A: Really. They enjoy analyzing electronic products, drinking coffee, and watching sci-fi flicks together.

B: So what's the big deal?

A: They also go to pubs, pick up girls, and spend hours goofing off in Internet cafs together.

B: That's why people say that birds of a feather flock together!

 

字彙Vocabulary

analyze (v.) 分析

electronic (adj.) 電子的

sci-fi 科幻小說（即science fiction）

flick (n.)（俚）電影

big deal 大事；了不起的事（常做片語）

pub (n.) 酒吧

pick up 釣（馬子或凱子）

goof off 遊手好閒

Internet caf 網咖

feather (n.) 羽毛

flock (v.) 聚集

【2008-08-24/聯合報/C3版/教育】

新聞來源: http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=381&f_SUB_ID=3742&f_ART_ID=145752