老美對人生的說法

由於中美兩國文化背景和價值觀不同，對人生的看法也有差異。

以下是一般老美對人生的一些說法。雖然句子簡短，但算是道地美語，也有深刻含義，願與讀友分享。

We don't have any control over the future, so we do the best we can.

我們無法控制未來，所以只能盡力而為之。

Each morning when I wake up, I thank God I have made it for another day.

每天早晨我醒來時，我感謝上帝，我又能再活一天。

(it指living)

Keep your lifestyle simple and you will enjoy yourself more.

保持生活簡單，你才能享到更多喜樂。

Try to have a smile as wide as the Mississippi River.

要笑口常開，開得像密西西比河那麼寬闊。

Unhappy people usually attract other negative people.

不快樂的人，通常也會吸引其他消極的人。

Don't make a big deal out of nothing.

不可小題大作 ＝ Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

(molehill 本指地鼠把泥土扒成鼠丘。照字義：不要用鼠丘製造山岳)

Don't worry about a thing; things will work out.

不用擔心；一切都會迎刃而解。

(work out = resolve)

We will have to learn some lessons the hard way.

我們都要從痛苦的經驗中學到一些教訓。

Making mistakes is a vital part of how we learn and change.

犯錯是我們學習和改變的主要力量。

Life is too precious to waste energy on greed, or to harbor resentments.

生命太可貴了，不必為貪婪或怨恨而浪費精力。

(on greed指貪錢財； harbor = harbour 心懷)

To eat, to drink and to be merry are not the only purpose in life.

吃喝玩樂不是生命的唯一目標。

You have a right to march to a different drummer if you wish.

如果你要，你有權做你喜歡的事。

(to march to a different drummer = to do what you like 也就是標新立異，獨樹一幟；drummer 本是樂隊鼓手)

Many people are greed-driven ingrates who never satisfied. This is why they are not happy.

許多人貪得無厭，忘恩負義，永不滿足。這就是他們不快樂的原因。

(greed-driven 指追求物質金錢；ingrate 指不懂感恩的人)

We can achieve happiness and be truly thankful once we realize that we have enough.

一旦我們體會到我們什麼都夠了，我們就能得到幸福，真正的感恩。

Just let him live his own life and reap whatever he sows.

讓他過他自己的生活；他播種什麼，就有什麼收成。

(這與As a man sows, so he shall reaps與種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆，意思相似 = You must reap what you have sown; 動詞時態：sow, sowed,sown)

Work is either fun or drudgery; it depends on your attitude.

工作是愉快，還是乏味，要看你的態度而定。(drudgery 是單調乏味)

There are two ways to live a courageous life: find your purpose and be passionate about your work.

有兩條路可以過著英勇無畏的生活：找到你的目標和熱愛你的工作。

It is not what people say you are; it is what you believe you are.

別人說你是怎樣的人，不算數；而是你自己相信你是怎樣一個人。

( what...you are 多指品格或生活)

Seize today and let yesterday go.

把握今天，釋放昨天。

Don't just live with the knots in your stomach.

不可生活在恐懼緊張中。(必須要去克服)

(knots in one's stomach 就是 have great fear or something bad in one's life)

Complaining too much can cost you a job; think before you speak.

太多的埋怨會失去你的工作；說話前要先考慮。

Don't force your children to do something to glorify you; some people are just not cut out to do what you expect.

不要強迫你的兒女去做使你增添榮耀的事；有些人不是生來就適合去做你所期望的事。

(to be cut out = to design)

Try to like your life the way it is; that is what happiness is all about.

盡量喜歡你的生活現狀，這就是幸福之所在。(it 指life)

Don't feel business deals and drinking should go hand in hand.

不要以為商場交易和飲酒作東是相互關連的。

Use your head and heart; only high emotions may cause you to say regretable things.

運用你的理智和感情；只有高度的激動，才會使你說出令人遺憾的事情。

Your job is a good chunk of your life.

你的工作是你人生的一大部份。(a good chunk 相當大的部份)

Even though he is a low man on the totem pole, he will not take advantage of anyone and be a free-loader.

即使他是底層人物，他不讓別人吃虧，也不做佔便宜的人。

(totem pole 有人稱為「圖騰杆」，據說上面刻著記號，是原始人用作部落等級的象徵)(free-loader 指愛佔便宜的人)

It is not appropriate to do all the giving or all the taking.

一直贈送或一直收受，都非恰當。

Don't stick your chest out when you are successful.

當你成功時，不必神氣巴拉。(動詞時態 = stick, stuck, 或 sticked)

We should always seem to be getting a big kick out of our daily life.

我們對我們每天的生活，應該感到快樂。

(to get a big kick out of something = to get a bang of something = to enjoy something)

Accept it for what it is; enjoy it while it lasts, because you never know what life brings (本句it，都指whatever)

逆來順受，及時享樂，因為你不知道生命會帶來什麼。

Needs are the basic things we must have to survive, whereas wants are things that we could live without.

「必需品」是我們為了生存所需的基本東西，但 「渴望品」是那些我們可以沒有卻仍可生存。(without後面省去 them)

You cannot eat your cake and have it too. = You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

照字義:你不能既吃掉蛋糕，也要留著蛋糕。就是兩者不可兼得。(have=keep)

I never expect anything from anyone, but I am always grateful to receive.

我從不期待從任何人得到好處，但我領受好處時，都是感激不盡。

The more it changes, the more it stays the same.

萬變不離其原。(意指世間事 ，再怎麼變，還是衣、食、住、行的基本生活)

(這句話據說來自法國，it指anything)

Whatever you hope to achieve, you have to put your mind to it and not give up.

不論你想完成什麼，你都必須集中精力，不可放棄。

If your mind fills with clouds, chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

假如你的思想，充滿陰影，把它消除，用陽光取代。

(them指clouds; it指mind)

Life is like a book; each day is like writing a new chapter.

人生就像一本書，每一天如同寫了新的一頁。

Don't dwell on thoughts that depress you.

不要活在讓你消沈的思維中。(dwell on滯留在，活在)

Try to be kind and courteous to those who cross your path.

對那些你所遇到的人，表示愛心和禮貌。

(to cross someone's path = to meet someone)

Refrain from improving anyone except yourself.

除了自己外，別去改善別人。

Success is not measured by wealth and material things, but by making one's life breathe a little easier.

成功不是以金錢和物質來衡量，而是使一個人的生活過得輕鬆些。

Don't beat yourself up over circumstances that are beyond your control.

在你無能為力時，不必責怪自己。

If you cannot afford something, don't buy it to satisfy your lust.

如果你財力不夠，不要為了滿足你的慾望而購買東西。

(lust=desire)

Your value does not lie in how much money you make, who you know or what office you hold.

你的價值不是在於你賺多少錢，你認識誰，或是你有什麼地位。

A clean conscience is a soft pillow.

純潔的良心是舒服的枕頭。(不做虧心事，睡得就舒服)

Life is not always a bowl of cherries; try to live within your means.

人生未必都是完美的，在你經濟範圍內，量力而為之。

(a bowl of cherries本是一缽嬰桃；此指good, wonderful或perfect: means指income)

It is better to see the glass half full than half empty.

看待玻璃杯裡是「半滿」，要比是「半空」好些。

(half full指樂觀；half empty指悲觀)

Itching for what you want does not do much good; you have got to scratch for it.

單憑渴望得到你所要的，無濟於事；你必須努力才能獲得。

(itch for something渴望得到某物；scratch for something努力工作而得到某物)

Help your friends make lemonade out of life's lemons.

幫助你的朋友，把生活中不好的變成好的。

(lemonade是檸檬汽水，指好的東西；lemon是檸檬，指不好的東西)