Proverbs are short
sentences drawn from a long experience.
(Cervantes, 1547-
1616)
Proverbs are probably as old as our
civilization, and are an important part of our inheritance. Children can learn
basic lessons from them. For instance, they may learn thrift by hearing a
parent or grandparent say, “Waste not, want not.” Young people tempted to be
dishonest are often able to resist the temptation by recalling that “Honesty is
the best policy.” Or persons faced with difficult tasks will be encouraged to
preserve by keeping in mind that “little strokes fell great oaks.” And many
tense situations are improved when one person or another remembers that “a soft
answer turns away wrath,” or that “two cannot quarrel if one won’t.”
Proverbs
are found in almost every language in the world, whether the language is
written or not. In fact, where the language has not been written, proverbs are
one of the principal ways the people pass down their philosophy of life from
one generation to another, thus preserving their most precious heritage. One
English writer has observed that the genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are
indicated by its proverbs.
These
little capsules of wisdom deal with things that concern all people: birth and
death, success and failure, love and marriage, happiness and sorrow, riches and
poverty, war and peace, work and play. They deal with such virtues such as
honesty, diligence, perseverance, thrift, friendliness, and generosity. They
deal with such vices such as dishonesty, anger, wastefulness, laziness,
gambling, and extravagance.
The
universal truth expressed in proverbs is used to convey practical knowledge, to
contribute to the education of children, and to settle arguments. Because they
are simple in form, proverbs can be easily understood by young and old, the
uneducated and the educated. Their meaning is usually illustrated by reference
to simple household objects (“A new broom sweeps clean”, or to such familiar
activities as hunting (“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”) or
teaching (“Experience is the best teacher”).
It
is usually difficult to discover the authors of proverbs. Sayings pass from one
country to another and are translated and adapted to the experience of the
people in each country where they are found. It is not hard to understand why
similar saying are found in
To
sum up, a person who has stored a rich supply of proverbs in his memory might
be compared to a computer that has been carefully programmed: he can usually
come up with a quick solution to a particular situation.
W. Bryce &
1. Decide if these statements are true or false; then, justify your
answer.
a. Proverbs do not exist in all cultures.
Truer Falser
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. Proverbs are found in written and oral cultures.
Truer Falser
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
c. It is easy to know the authors of proverbs.
Truer Falser
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Circle a, b, or c, in each question below. Only one choice is
correct.
1. The writer compared a person who
has stored a rich supply of proverbs in his memory to …
a) A computer.
b) A television.
c) A book.
2. Because they are simple in form,
proverbs can be …
a) Easily forgotten.
b) Easily understood.
c) Easily translated.
3. Answer the following questions briefly, in your own words as far as
possible.
a. What might proverbs teach people?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. What are the different uses of proverbs?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Without going back to the text, try to find
the antonym of each word in the table below
Word |
# |
Antonym |
|
Example: Birth |
Example: Death |
||
|
|||
1) Sorrow |
a) ……………………………….. |
||
2) Success |
b) ……………………………….. |
||
3) Poverty |
c) ……………………………….. |
||
4) Peace |
d) ……………………………….. |
||
5) Work |
e) ……………………………….. |
||
6) Dishonesty |
f) ……………………………….. |
||
7) Young |
g) ……………………………….. |
||
8) Uneducated |
h) ……………………………….. |
||
9) Virtue |
i) ……………………………….. |
5. Tick the appropriate meaning of
the proverb.
ü “Waste not, want
not.”
- Said
to advise someone not to waste anything, because they might need it in the
future.
- Said
when something, especially money, is easily got and then soon spent or
lost.
- Said
to tell people to stop asking money from you.