Money Talks

 

成語和諺語，都是學習英語的兩條鑰匙。Proverbs are the wisdom of peoples，諺語往往是人民的智慧，反映不同國家民族，對生活和人生百態集體的看法，many sayings are international, proving that great minds run in the same channel, even if the minds are anonymous，雖然無名無姓，英雄所見略同，諺語常有普遍的國際共性。

 

漢語中，成語特別豐富，諺語也多釆多姿，尤其是有關金錢的，俏皮的、警世的、幽默的、反映民族性特徵的，所在多有。

 

中國人說搖錢樹，西方人說；money doesn’t grow on trees。大意是：you have to be careful how much money you spend because there is only a limited amount。錢不宜亂花，不會長花長有。

 

中國人說釣得金龜婿，西方人說：gold-digger，指以色相誘騙男人錢財的女人。

 

 

中國諺語中的：有錢能使鬼推磨，財可通神。中國人講鬼神，西方人只說母馬或母驢：Money makes the mare to go。或者：Money is a golden key that opens every door，有錢萬事通。

 

Proverbs are often cynical（憤世嫉俗）or witty（俏皮），especially in money matters。試舉幾個例子：The coal-man is black, but his money is white (Portuguese proverb)；The poor man dies waiting for the rich man to make up his mind (Albanian expression)；Money is a slave to the wise, a master to the fool (British saying)。

 

 

英文習用語 Money talks 有不同的解釋和繙譯。最普遍的含意是：有錢就有勢，people who have a lot of money have more power and influence than others，他們有權力和影響力，有時還可以得到特殊優待。財大氣粗，庶可近之。

 

英語國家的人，習慣上不以「發財」為頌為禱，所以沒有祝大家發財的成語，但卻有不少描述財富和賺很多錢的生動說法：born with a silver spoon in their mouth 有很多錢可以花，好似億萬富豪李嘉誠的兩個兒子，含着銀匙出世的富家子弟，他們往往無須費勁，便有垂手可得的金錢 on a silver plate。

 

 

容易賺的錢是 easy money，money for old rope 或 money for jam。財源滾滾來，當然是 rolling in money 或者印銀紙一樣：have a licence to print money；腰纏萬貫是 someone is on Easy Street，甚至 he has money to burn。揮金如土，浪費金錢如大花筒，錢花得冤枉，我們說：spend money like water = spend a lot of money unnecessarily。花錢如流水的英語：money burns a hole in the pocket，北京話也有近似說法的諺語：錢多燒得慌，無處兒花。廣東話則有：財散人安樂。有錢就想花，不知節制，you want to spend the money as soon as you have it。

 

 

另一方面，having no money 的英文成語也不少。生活貧困，經濟有困難，常用語是：short of money 或 hard up。一貧如洗是：to have no money at all, broke, on the breadline, down and out；捉襟見肘、左支左絀是：feel the pinch。

 

近年時常見報，有關歐洲國家如希臘 debt crisis 債務危機重重；緊縮開支，節衣縮食的字眼是 austerity。The Greeks are in the red, they are out of pocket，需要德國打救。同樣情況，如用於個人，欠銀行錢，未能償還：we are in financial trouble, we are living beyond our means, we are unable to make ends meet。

 

至於勉強僅可糊口，having just enough money to keep ends meet，你要省吃儉用過日子，勒緊腰帶：To survive, you have to tighten your belt, to keep body and soul together。你這時的經濟景況，可以用這句成語來形容：You are living from hand to mouth!

 

本專欄逢周二、五發表