Now, the VOA Special
English program "Words And Their Stories".
A
proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common
truth or
belief.
Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live.
We
asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs. A short time later,
we received suggestions from around the world. We heard from listeners in
Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
The
top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a
will, there is a way." This means that you can
rise above your
problems if you have a goal and work very hard.
Some
listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot."
This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right
time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help
themselves."
Xu
Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs. Several of
them are also used in the United States. One example is "Birds of
a feather flock together." This means that people who are
alike
often become friends or spend time together.
Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This
means family ties are stronger than other relationships. A similar proverb
states "Charity begins at home." A person should help
his family or close friends before helping others.
Alina
from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must
begin at the bottom." That is good advice when working around your
home or looking for a job.
Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is "Tell me who
walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are." Didier Vermeulen
of France sent us this one: "It does not matter the speed you go.
The most important thing is to never stop."
Wafaa
from Egypt says his favorite proverb is, "Think twice,
act wise."
He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.
Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes
perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep
doing it. Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done
right, do it yourself."
Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you
risk nothing,
then you risk everything."
And,
here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast: "Your
defeat now is your victory in the future." He says it means you
can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing
similar situations in the future.
This
VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.
We will present more programs about proverbs in the future. |