悪事千里を走る
Ill news travels(runs) apace(fast).
(悪い噂は翼を持つ)
Bad news has wings.
悪貨は良貨を駆逐する
Bad money drives out good.
悪銭身につかず
Easy come, easy go.
Easy money is easy to spend.
明日は明日の風が吹く
Tomorrow is another day.
明日の百より、今日の五十
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
当たって砕けろ
(海に行けば魚が獲れる)
Go to the sea, if you would fish well.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
頭隠して尻隠さず
(駝鳥のごとく、砂の中に頭を隠す)
To bury one's head ostrich-like in the head.
後の祭り
(市の済んだ次の日)
A day after the fair.
(死後に医者)
After death a doctor.
後は野となれ、山となれ
(自分の後に大洪水)
After me the deluge.
あばたもえくぼ
Love blinds a man to all imperfections.
虻蜂取らず
(皆つかめば皆失う)
Grasp all, lose all.
(二つの椅子に座ろうとすれば地面に倒れる)
Between two stools you fall to the ground.
雨降って地固まる
(嵐の後に凪が来る)
After a storm comes a calm.
あやまちを改むるにはばかることなかれ
It is never too late to mend.
案ずより生むが易し
(計画は期待より容易なることあり)
An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.
Fear often exaggerates danger.
言うは易く行うは難し
(言うことと行うこととは別)
Easy to say, hard to do.
Saying and doing are two things.
いくつになっても学ぶことはある
One is never too old to learn.
石の上にも三年
(忍耐が勝つ)
Preseverence prevails.
Perseverance will win in the end.
石橋を叩いて渡る
(跳ぶ前に気を付けよ)
Look before you leap.
医者の不養生
Doctors often neglect their own health.
急がばまわれ
(近道には誤り多し)
A short cut is often a wrong cut.
(あわてれば無駄になる)
Haste makes waste.
(ゆっくり急げ)
Hasten slowly.
一事が万事
One instance shows all the rest.
(ピンを盗むものは何でも盗む)
One who steals a pin will steal everything.
一石二鳥
Kill two birds with one stone.
一年の計は元旦にあり
The whole year's plans are made on New Year's Day.
一を聞いて十を知る
(一部を聞いて全体を知る)
To know all by hearing a part.
一寸の虫にも五分の魂
(虫けらでも向き直る)
A worm will turn.
糸はそれが一番弱いところで切れる
The thread breaks where it is weakest.
犬も歩けば棒に当たる
(飛ぶ鳥は常に何かをつかむ)
A flying crow always catches something.
命あっての物種
(命ある間は希望がある)
While there is life, there is hope.
井の中の蛙、大海を知らず
(地獄にいるものは天国を知らない)
He who is in hell knows not what heaven is.
(谷にいるものは丘の向こうを知らない)
He that stays in the valley shall never get over the hill.
鰯(いわし)の頭も信心から
(信仰は山をも動かす)
Faith moves a mountain.
言わぬが花
(沈黙は言葉より雄弁である)
Silence is more eloquent than words.
(語るのは銀、黙するのは金)
Speech is silver, silence is gold.
因果応報
(噛み殺した犬は噛み殺される)
The dog that kills wolves is killed by wolves.
上には上がある
Diamond cuts diamond.
魚心あれば水心
Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.
氏より育ち
Birth is much, breeding is more.
嘘から出た真
Many a true word is spoken in jest.
嘘も方便
A necessary lie is harmless.
The ends justifies the means.
A lie is often expedient.
美しいものには棘がある
(棘のない薔薇はない)
No rose without a thorn.
馬の耳に念仏(馬耳東風)
(アヒルの背に水をかける)
To pour water on a duck's back.
(壁に話しかける)
Talking to a brick-wall.
馬を水辺に連れて行けるが、飲ますことは出来ない
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
噂をすれば影
(天使の話をすると、翼の音を聞く)
Speak of angels and you hear their wings.
(悪魔の噂をすれば、悪魔が現れる)
Talk of the devil and he will appear.
得手に帆を上げる
(順風に帆を上げよ)
Set your sail according to the wind.
(幸福の神がノックしたらドアを開け)
When fortune knocks, open the door.
海老で鯛を釣る
Use small fry to catch a big fish.
(鯨を捕まえようと小魚を投げる)
Throw a sprat to catch a whale.
負うた子に教えられて浅瀬を渡る
(ヒヨコが親鳥に忠告する)
The chicken gives advice to the hen.
大男総身に智恵がまわりかね
(大頭の子知恵)
Big head, little wit.
A tall man is fool.
傍目八目(おかめはちもく)
(観客は試合をよく見る)
On-lookers see most of the game.
おごる者久しからず
Pride will have a fall.
(朝日は終日続かない)
The morning sun never lasts a day.
鬼に金棒
(二倍確かなものにする)
That makes it double sure.
鬼のいぬまに
(猫がいない時にネズミは遊ぶ)
When the cat’s away, the mice will play.
鬼の目にも涙
(頑固な心からも涙が出る)
Tears from the hardest heart.
帯に短し、たすきに長し
(多すぎるのは無駄)
Too much is stark naught.
溺れる者は藁をもつかむ
A drowning man will catch at a straw.
思い立ったが吉日
(今日できることを明日に延ばすな)
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
親の心子知らず
No child knows how dear he is to his parents.
親の七光
Ride on one’s father’s coattails.
親馬鹿ちゃんりん
(母親には子は眉目秀麗)
Every mother's childr is handsome.
親はなくとも子は育つ
Nature is a good mother.
終りよければすぺてよし
All's well that ends well.
女心と秋の空
A woman's mind and winter-wind change often.
歳月人を待たず
(時の経過と潮の流れは人を待たない)
Time and tide wait for no man.
最後に笑う者が最もよく笑う
He who laughs last, laughs best.
先んずれば人を制す
(一番先に来る者が勝ち)
First come, first served.
(ボートに最初に乗ったものがオールを選べる)
The first in the boat has the choice of oars.
酒は百薬の長
Wine is old men’s milk.
Good wine makes good blood.
去る者は日々に疎し
(視界から消えると、忘れ去る)
Out of sight, out of mind.
触らぬ神に祟りなし
(眠れる犬は寝かしておけ)
Let sleeping dogs lie.
三十六計逃ぐるにしかず
(逃げるのが上手な者は捕まらない)
A good runner is never caught.
3度目の正直
Third time lucky.
三人よれば文殊の知恵
(二つの頭脳は一つの頭脳より勝る)
Two heads are better than one.
自業自得
You reap what you sow.
One must drink as one brews.
地獄の沙汰も金次第
(金は馬をも動かす)
Money makes the mare to go.
(金はすべての戸を開ける鍵)
Money is the key which opens every door.
(金はどこへでも行けるパスポート)
Money is a valid passport anywhere.
事実は小説より奇なり
Fact(Truth) is stranger than fiction.
至誠天に通ず
What comes from the heart goes to the heart.
親しき仲にも礼儀あり
(垣によって友情を保つ)
A hedge between keeps friedship green.
失敗は成功のもと
Failure teaches success.
Every failures is a stepping-stone the success.
死人に口なし
Dead man tells no tales.
釈迦に説法
(魚に泳ぎ方を教える)
Like teaching a fish to swim.
蛇の道は蛇
Set a thief to catch a thief.
The wolf knows what the ill beast thinks.
習慣は第二の天性
Habits is a second nature.
十人十色
So many men, so many minds.
Ever one has his taste.
朱に交われば赤くなる
(松脂に触れば指が汚れる)
He that handleth pitch shall foul his fingers.
習慣は第2の天性
Habit is a second nature.
正直は最善の策
Honesty is the best policy.
小人閑居して不善をなす
(何もしないということが悪事へと誘う)
The devil finds work for idle hands.
An idle man tempts the evil.
小心にして大胆
To be timid and bold.
Make a plan like a coward and carry it out like a brave man.
知らぬが仏
(無知は幸福である)
Ignorance is bliss.
知らぬは亭主ばかりなり
The husband is always the last to know.
人事を尽くして天命を待つ
We have to do our best and leave the rest to Providence.
人生とは何かを知る以前に半分過ぎてしまっている
Life is half spent before we know what it is.
死んで花実が咲くものか
You won’t prove anything by dying.
好きこそ物の上手なれ
What one likes one will do well.
We can do well at what we like.
過ぎたるは及ばざるがごとし
Too much is as bad as too little.
すべての道はローマに通ず
All roads lead to Rome.
住めば都
This place has grown on me.
(どの鳥も自分の巣を良く思う)
Every bird thinks its own best charming.
精神一到何事か成らざらん
(意志あるところに道あり)
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.
せいては事を仕損じる
Haste makes waste.
青天の霹靂
A bolt from the blue.
背に腹は代えられぬ
(窮地では、兄弟も友人もない)
At the narrow passage there is no brother and friend.
船頭多くして、船山に登る
(料理人多くして、スープをまずくする)
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
善は急げ
The sooner the better.
千里の道も一歩から
A thousand journey began with a foot put down.
(一段ずつ梯子を登る)
Step after step the ladder is ascended.
袖触れ合うも他生の縁
(偶然の出会いも運命)
Even a chance acquaintance is part of one's destiny.
備えあれば憂いなし
(万一に備え蓄えよ)
Lay by something for a rainy day.
Lay up against a rainy day.
損して得とれ
(損な取引を最上に利用せよ)
Make the best of a bad bargain.
馬鹿とハサミは使いよう
Fools and scissors require careful handling.
(馬鹿はおだてれば役立つ)
Praise a fool, and you may make him useful.
馬鹿につける薬なし
No medicine can cure folly.
馬鹿の一つ覚え
(馬鹿の矢は考慮なしに放たれる)
A fool's bolt is soon shot.
掃溜に鶴
(肥溜めに宝石)
A jewel in a dunghill.
始めが肝心
(始めは全体の半分)
The beginning is half of the whole.
八十の手習い
One is never too old to learn.
八方美人
(すべての人の友は誰の友でもない)
A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.
花より団子
(鳥の歌よりパン)
Bread is better than the songs of birds.
早起きは三文の徳
(早起き鳥は虫を捕まえる)
The early bird catches the worm.
腹が減っては戦が出来ぬ
The stomach carries the feet.
光もの必ずしも金ならず
All is not gold that glitters.
美人薄命
The fairest flowers sooner fade.
庇を貸して、母屋を取られる
(肩に人を乗せると、頭にまで乗られる)
Who lets another sit on shoulder, will soon have him on his head.
人を見たら泥棒と思え
Never trust a stranger.
必要は発明の母
Necessity is the mother of invention.
人の噂も七五日
(珍しい話も九日すれば飽きる)
No wonder lasts more than nine days.
A wonder lasts but nine days.
人の振り見て我が振り直せ
One man’s fault is another man’s lesson.
Learn wisdom from the follies of others.
(賢者は他人の欠点を見て、自分の欠点を改める)
By other's faults wise men correct their own.
人の褌で相撲を取る
(蛇は他人の手で穴から出せ)
Draw the snake from its hole by another man's hand.
人はパンのみに生きるにあらず
Man does not live by Bread alone.
人は見かけによらぬ
(外見で判断してはならない)
Never judge by appearance.
火のない所に煙はたたぬ
There is no smoke without fire.
Make no fire, raise no smoke.
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
百聞は一見にしかず
(十聞くよりも一つ見よ)
One eye-witness is better than ten hearsays.
(見ることは信じること)
Seeing is believing.
瓢箪から駒
(予期せぬ事が起こる)
Unexpected things often happen.
貧の友は真の友
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
貧乏人に暇なし
Poor men have no leisure.
覆水(ふくすい)盆に返らず
It is no use crying over spilt milk.
河豚は食いたし、命は惜しし
(蜜は甘いが蜂は刺す)
Honey is sweet, but the bee stings.
不言実行
Actions speak louder than words.
武士は食わねど高楊枝
(借金して起きているより、空腹のまま寝る)
Better go to bed supperless than rise in debt.
豚に真珠
Don’t throw pearls to swine.
文は人なり
The style is the man.
下手な鉄砲も数打てば当たる
(多く打てば、いつか当たる)
He who shoots often, hits at last.
下手の長談義
(長い説教は注目されない)
Long sermon, little attention.
弁慶の泣き所
(人には弱点がある)
Every man has his week side.
ペンは剣より強し
The pen is mightier than the sword.
坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎い
(木が可愛けりゃ枝まで可愛い)
He that loves the tree loves the branches.
吠える犬は噛まない
Barking dogs seldom bite.
仏作って魂入れず
(畑耕し、種まき忘れる)
Ploughing the field and forgetting the seed.