国外许多名言警句有时候读起来也让人纳闷以致于郁闷，因为它们号称是Chinese Proverb(中国谚语)，但我作为中国人却不甚了了，想不出来这些Chinese Proverb 到底对应哪些“中国谚语”。

比如下面这些Chinese Proverb，我可以大致翻译出其意义，但是还没有想出对应的中文原句：

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

鸟儿唱歌不是因为它们有了答案，而是因为它们有歌要唱。

A bit of fragrance¹ clings to the hand that gives flowers.

送花的手上留有香味。

A book tightly shut is but a block of paper.

一本没有打开的书就是一团纸。

A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.

孩子的一生就像一张白纸，周边每个人都会在上面留下印记。

A fool judges people by the presents they give him.

糊涂人根据他人的送礼决定亲疏。

A nation's treasure is in its scholars.

学者是国家的财富。

A rat who gnaws² at a cat's tail invites destruction.

咬猫尾巴的老鼠自寻毁灭。

Be the first to the field and the last to the couch.

第一个出工干活，最后一个上床休息。

Do not employ handsome servants.

别雇佣长得好看的佣人。

Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet³.

别用斧头拍打朋友额头上的苍蝇。

Don't open a shop unless you like to smile.

你要是不喜欢微笑就别开店。

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains⁴ a fool forever.

张口发问可能让你表现出5分钟的无知，但是不发问的人永远会无知。

He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument.

辩论中的两个人，第一个动手的那个人就是承认辩论失败的那个人。

If you bow at all, bow low.

既然低了头，干脆就多低点。

Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve.

把受伤了的胳膊藏在衣袖里。

Not until just before dawn do people sleep best; not until people get old do they become wise.

只有到凌晨人们才睡的最熟，只有到年老时人们才变得聪明。

Raise your sail one foot and you get ten feet of wind.

撑起一尺的风帆，你会得到10尺的风力。

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

要知道怎样前面的路怎么走，最好问从前面返回的人。

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lilywith the other.

如果在世上你只剩下2毛钱，就用一毛钱买一块面包，另一毛买一朵百合花。

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

点亮一支蜡烛总比咒骂黑暗要好。

A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.

荆棘是玫瑰的卫士，只会刺伤摘花的人。

With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.

只要有时间和耐心，桑树叶子会变成绸大褂。

If we don't change our direction we're likely to end up where we're headed.

如果我们不改变方向，总会走到我们要去的地方。

If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through.

如果你站起来的次数比摔倒的次数多一次，你就过关了。

The man who comes with a tale about others has himself an ax to grind.

说别人坏话的人一定是自己图谋不轨。

I dreamed a thousand new paths. . . I woke and walked my old one.

在梦里有一千条新路可走，可是醒来以后还是走老路。

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.

说某事不能做的人不应该干扰别人去做。

看着这许多“中国谚语”，怎么就没听说过呢?不是自己学识浅薄，就是老外故弄玄虚，总觉得有deep doubts(深深的疑惑)。说起doubts，也许正好用上另一句世上流传的Chinese Proverbs：

Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom.

疑惑深，智慧也深;疑惑浅，智慧也浅。