Proverbs and sayings using in English And Russian languages

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS USING IN RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES                                                              Выполнила: Логвинова Анастасия                                                                       Руководитель:Узденова А,А.                                                            г. Михайловск                                                                   2018-2019 уч.г.

Сontents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………3

Chapter 1

1.1 . National character of British…………………………………..4-5

1.2  .  Proverbs and sayings as folklore genre.

Their functions and value…………………………………………..5-6

1.3 . Primary sources of proverbs and saying……………………....6-7

Conclusions according to chapter 2………………………………….7

Chapter 2

2.1 . Ratio of the Russian and English proverbs and sayings. Difficulties of the translation…………………………………………………..8-9

2.2 . Classification of proverbs and sayings by several criteria...10-13

Conclusions according to chapter 2………………………………. 14

Conclusion………………………………………………………….15

Introduction

Proverbs and sayings are ancient genres of folklore. They are famous for all people in the world, and every culture has them. English proverbs and sayings give us an opportunity to plunge into a real live English language, understand English history and traditions better. Exact rhyme, short and easy for  understanding  make proverbs and sayings resistant, easy memorizing and necessary in speech. As they contain wisdom, spirit and any people experience knowing English proverbs and sayings will help not only to study English language , but better understand habits, traditions, minds and characters of  English people.

 The researching work is to study individual aspects of national British character and its reflection in proverbs and sayings. The topic is quiet actual nowadays as learning English traditions  and  folklore help us  to know more and better about the country and their people.

  Having started the work, we set a goal: to identity a relationship between individual traits of British character and their proverbs and sayings, to compare them with Russian ones.

  So we have the following tasks:

1. To consider the most bright and distinctive features of British people.

2. To study English literature ,translate proverbs and sayings and determine their meanings.

3. To classify proverbs and sayings according different criteria’s.

Researching subject: English proverbs and sayings reflecting individual traits and life style of British people.

Researching methods: complicating ,comparing, systematizing ,and analyzing the results.

                                               Chapter1

1.1 English national character.

English people live on the British islands .It is also a home of Scottish and Welsh people.

National character is unchangeable with all peoples. But this fact more  applies to English. Thus, the first and more clear thing of this nation is stability and permanence. It is less than other nations depended on time and fashion.

  Curiosity of English people allowed them to learn the best things that other peoples have. But still they remain true to their traditions. Admiring French food an Englishman will not imitate it at his place. It is wrong to say that Englishmen never changed. Changes constantly happen but they are not visible and do not affect a lot. Ancient features of English personality have a deep influence on the national character and the state of style.

   When we speak about  English” stiff upper lip” we mean two concepts- ability to hold oneself and respond appropriately  in definite situations. Neither first nor second was common before 19^th century.

“Gentleman behavior” principles cultivated during the queen Victoria times.

English   still has to fight against passions of his tearing out temper.

Modern English people consider that the main person dignity is composure. Words “hold yourself” express better the nation motto “The  better you  can possess yourself the more dignified you are”. When you are happy or sad, lucky or unlucky you must stay unbiased at least outwardly. From childhood English kids are taught to carry out cold and hunger, overcome a pain and fear. Their natural features are  love for order, comfort, mental activity commitment. They love a good car, fresh costume and rich library. It is not difficult to recognize a real English in a people fuss. Nothing like noise or shout will confuse him. English with simple state are very friendly and helpful. A tourist asking the way, an English will take a shoulder and start to show the way with different visual methods, repeating the same several times. English manage to avoid not only all obstacles but do their work with perfect calm so that the nearest neighbor cannot aware  about gigantic work next to him. There is no another nation  in Europe which custom was built up into such immunity law. If  there is a custom no matter whether it strange, funny or original is none of well-bred English will break it. They are tolerant to someone’s opinion. He feels a strong need in company but nobody else can be alone with lots of his friends. He can stay himself among a huge crowd, thinking out, doing things as he wills without embarrassing himself or anyone else or breaking decency. Nobody can spend his time and money so strictly as an English do. They travel a lot and try to learn as much  information  as possible. One of the most important life principles of English people is “We were born not to enjoy”. So the main features of English character are based on this principle. Children grow up in strict atmosphere and the higher your society is the more education strict is. You often can see a little poor children room on the attic in the large , rich English house with a large living room, bedrooms and study. Separate education system for girls and boys is still popular in Britain.

    1.2 Proverbs and sayings folklore genres. Functions and meanings.  

Wisdom and nation spirit are expressed in  proverbs and sayings. Learning them can help you understand better not only the language but thoughts and people character.

 Compare proverbs and sayings of different nations you can see how much they have  in common and moreover, it helps to understand each other better. Right and appropriate using proverb and sayings makes your speech unique and special expressiveness. Proverbs and sayings are widespread folklore genre. They accompany people from the ancient times. Exact rhyme, simple form, shortness made proverbs and sayings resistant, memorized and necessary in speech. English proverbs and sayings came not only from many centuries people experience and creation.

  Proverbs should be distinguished from sayings. The main proverb feature is perfection. A saying differs for its lack of completeness and instructive character. Popular English sayings “pigs can fly” (Russian translation “когда рак на горе свистнет”), when two Sundays come together (когда луна встретится с солнцем). Sometimes it is difficult to separate a proverb from a saying. A saying borders with a proverb.

  Proverbs are interpreted  two ways: word-for- word or by using metaphors. Some  English proverbs contain universal truth and should be understood word for word-Hope for the best and prepare for the worst (Надейся на лучшее, но готовься к худшему). Many English proverbs like Russian ones entered a modern English speech and are widely used in all spheres-by politicians, in books, films, magazines, adverts. And it is no wonder, but when we use proverbs and sayings our speech is bright and shaped. By using in right place proverbs and sayings confirm and prove the essence of what we said. It is actual in any times, proverbs and sayings were , are and will be in our speech.

        1.3 Primary sources of proverbs and sayings   

There are a lot of varieties sources of proverbs and sayings. To become a proverb  a statement must be understood and taken by ordinary people. Wherein the primary an source of a proverb is often forgotten. Having become a proverb, it becomes a part of the public consciousness; and no matter who was the author. We can assume that any proverb was created by definite person in definite situations. The sources of many old proverbs have completely were lost. So we can say for sure that the most number of proverbs and sayings have national origin. The phrase “make hay before the sun shines” (куй железо, пока горячо) came from field works experience, and the phrase “Don’t put all eggs in one basket” (Не кладите все яйца в одну корзину.По себе людей не судят) came from personal relations.

 On the other hand, we can say that many proverbs were said by definite people. For a example, “The end justifies the means” (Цель оправдывает средства) comes from 17^th century doctrine or the gold thought “The fish is father to the thought” (Желание порождает мысль) was said by Julies Caesar or a statement “A short answer turns  away wrath” (Короткий ответ отвращает гнев) is certainly taken from the Bible. Proverbs and sayings became the most popular in Shakespeare’s time and he is considered to be the author of many of them. There are also a lot of proverbs and sayings from the Bible. Both  sources the national and literary are integrated.

   The another important  source of English proverbs –proverbs  and sayings from  other languages. But we cannot  say it for sure as if a proverb came from Latin, French or German it could come there from another languages. Proverbs from the  Bible are another kind of interaction as the Bible was translated from  Hebrew and its wise ideas reflect Jewish community consciousness. The Bible was the vain book and  its many statements became a   part of community  and now we do not think about the statements came from the Bible. But, however, many English proverbs are completely taken from the Holy Scripture. For example, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Вы не можете служить Богу и мамоне), “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Дух бодр, плоть же немощна) ; in many proverbs from the Holy Scripture some words were changed: “Spare the rod and spoil the child” (Баловством портить ребенка). “You cannot make bricks without straw”  (Кирпичи  без соломы не сделаешь).

 Proverbs are mobile and in constant motion. Obsolete proverbs are constantly added.

Conclusion of chapter 1.

1.Proverbs and sayings are widespread genre of folklore. They guide people from the ancient times. Certain rhyme, easy form, brevity made proverbs and sayings resistant, easy memorizing and necessary in our speech.

2.Provebs and sayings are ancient genre of folklore. They occurred in long times ago and their roots date back centuries. Many of them appeared when people even did not have a writing. So the question of the primary sources of them is still opened. The main sources of English proverbs and sayings are national, literary, Biblical and also and using Shakespeare’s  quotations as proverbs and sayings.

3.Proverbs are differ from sayings. The main feature of a proverb is its completeness and instructive content.  

                                               Chapter 2

2.1.          Correlation English and Russian proverbs and sayings.

Translation difficulties .

 When we compare proverbs and sayings of different nations we can how much the peoples have in common and it helps to understand each other better. Many English and Russian proverbs are polysemantic that makes some difficulties for interpretation and comparison. The main criteria of English and Russian proverbs selections is coinciding of the main meaning. But it is important to remember that folding in different historical situations, to express the same similar idea English and Russian proverbs and sayings , different images were used which reflected different social way of life and everyday life and were not absolutely equivalent. For example, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. Translation word-for-word sounds this way: “ Трава всегда зеленее по ту сторону забора” , but there is no such proverb in Russian language, there is another with similar meaning “ Хорошо там, где нас нет”, and English translation sounds like “Life is better, where we are not present”. But there are some proverbs  in both languages that coincide  in their translation. For example, “There is no smoke without fire”-“Нет дыма без огня”.

   Peoples communication experience throughout centuries, speaking different languages prove that a good interpreter must not only understand the meaning of the text, but have a good knowledge of phraseology. English and Russian languages have their own rules. They have different words order in sentences. English phrases never contain two negations, but in Russian we can use two and more. While researching English proverbs, we faced difficulties interpretations of proverbs and sayings, as to translate what is considered to be a part of one nation culture into the other language is very hard. For example, “The pot calls the kettle black”, word-for-word translation sounds “Горшок обзывает чайник чёрным”. In this case we should find Russian equivalent “Чья бы корова мычала , а твоя бы помолчала”. While translating proverbs and sayings from English into Russian, we indentified 3 categories of proverbs:

Proverbs and sayings that are similar in their meanings and using in        English and Russian languages:

“Actions speak louder than words”-«Дела говорят громче слов»

  “The apple never falls far from the tree”-«Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает».

  “Curiosity killed the cat”-«Любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали».

   “Be easier said than done”-«Проще сказать, чем сделать».

    “An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth”-«Око за око, зуб за зуб».

    “Like father, like son”-«Каков отец, таков и сын».

     “Forewarned is forearmed” –«Предупреждён, значит вооружён».

    Similar  proverbs and sayings in usage but different in lexical composition.

   “There is no accounting for taste” –«О вкусах не спорят».

    “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes” –«Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе”.

“Birds of a feather flock together” –«Рыбак рыбака видит издалека».

“When the cat’s away the mice will play” –«Кот из дома- мыши в пляс».

“Every cloud has a silver lining” –«Нет худа без добра».

“Two many cooks spoil the broth” –«У семи нянек дитя без глазу».

“Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched” –«Цыплят по осени считают».

“Every dog has its day” –«И на нашей улице будет праздник».

    Proverbs and sayings that have no Russian equivalents.

“You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” –Нельзя заставить человека делать то, что ему не нравится.

“The lights are on but nobody’s home” – Кто-то очень глуп.

“Rob Peter to pay Paul” –Занимать деньги у одного, чтобы отдать другому.

“It’ll be all right on the night” – Какое-то мероприятие будет успешным. Даже если подготовка к нему шла неудачно.

“Why keep a dog and bark yourself?” –Зачем делать что-то самому, если кто-то может это сделать за тебя.

“It’s not over until the fat lady sings” –Пока есть шанс, не всё пропало.

2.2.  Сlassification of English proverbs and sayings.

While studying proverbs and sayings, we defined 3 groups of proverbs which:

Teach, advice, help to live:

“A word is enough to the mind” –«Умному и слова довольно. Умный понимает с полуслова. Умному намёк –глупому толчок».

“An honest takes speed best, being plainly told” – «Самое лучшее-прямо и просто сказанное слово. Недолго думано, а хорошо сказано».

“Two heads are better than one” – «Одна голова хорошо, а две лучше. Ум хорошо, а два лучше».

About mental activity advantages:

“An idle brain is the devil’s workshop” –«Праздный мозг – мастерская для дьявола».

About life experience:

“A fox is not taking in the same snare” –«Старую лису дважды не проведёшь .Снаряд дважды в одно место не бьёт».

A lot of statements that express

Silence is gold:

“A close mouth catches no flies” – «В закрытый рот муха не влетит. Кто молчит, тот не грешит».

“All truths are not to be told” –«Не всякую правду стоит произносить вслух Всяк правду знает, да не всяк  его бает».

“A reticent fool is counted wise” –«Молчаливый  дурак сходи за умного. Молчи, сойдёшь за умного».

Proverbs and sayings ridiculing ,exposing foolishness, nonsense.

 “A fool always rushes to the fore” –«Дурак всегда лезет вперёд. Глупый ищет большого места, а умного и в углу видать».

“A fool at forty is fool indeed” –«Дурак в сорок –полный дурак. Старого дурака не перемолаживать».

“A fool may ask more questions in an hour than mind men answer in seven years” –«Умный семь лет не ответит на вопросы, которые задаст дурак за один час. На всякого дурака ума не наберёшься».

“A fool may throw a stone into a will which a hundred mind men cannot pull out.” –«Дурак камень в колодец кинет – сто умных не вытащат. Дурак завяжет, а умный не развяжет».

“Afool and his money are soon parted” –«Дурак легко расстаётся с его деньгами. У дурачка в горсти дыра.»

“A fool’s tongue runs before his mind” –«Дурак сперва  говорит . потом думает.У дурака язык впереди языка рыщет. У дурака язык вперёд ног бежит».

“As the fool thinks, as the bells clinks” – «Дуракам закон не писан».

How do English people appreciate a man? By appearance or by character qualities?

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing” –«Волк в одежде овцы. Волк в овечьей шкуре».

 “A bird may be known by its song”. –«Видна птица по полёту».

“A black hen lays a white egg” –«От черной курочки да белое яйцо. От чёрной коровы да белое молоко».

“A fair face may hide a foul heart.” –«За прекрасной внешностью может прятаться низкая душа. Лицом хорош, а душой не пригож».

“A good face is a letter of recommendation”. –«Хорошее лицо всё равно, что рекомендательное письмо. Лицо- зеркало души. Аленький цветочек бросается в глазок. На алый цветок летит мотылёк».

As we can see, English  make the first impression about people on their appearance, but the basic things are men’s actions and personal qualities. People  opinion  is very important for English and kind words aren’t the last thing as a man is judged by his actions:

 “A good name is better than riches” – «Доброе имя лучше богатства. Лучше быть бедняком, чем разбогатеть с грехом».

“A good name is sooner lost than man”. –«Хорошее имя легче утратить, чем приобрести. Слава приходит золотниками, а уходит пудами».

“An ill wound in whet, not an ill name”. –«Тяжёлую рану залечишь, а недобрую славу - нет».

Reflection certain character features of British in proverbs and sayings.

Strictness and discipline :

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”-«Будушь рано ложиться и рано вставать- станешь здоровым,богатым и мудрым.Кто рано встаёт,тому Бог даёт».

“A good example is the best sermon”. –«Ничто не убеждает людей лучше примера».

“A man is known by the company he keeps” – «Скажи мне кто твой друг, и я скажу , кто ты».

“Doing is better than saying” –«Не спеши языком, торопись делом».

“Experience keeps a dear school, but fools learn in no other”. -  «Натерпишься горя – научишься жить».

Restraint in words, emotions and behavior.

“Least said, soonest mended” –«Чем меньше сказано, тем быстрее исправлено».

“A close mind catches no fly” –«Кто молчит, тот не грешит».

“A joke never gains an enemy but often looses a friend” –«Шути, да оглядывайся».

“A silent fool is counted wise” –«Молчи – за умного сойдёшь».

“Be swift to hear, slow to speak” –«Больше слушай, меньше говори».

“Curiosity killed a cat” –«Любопытной Варваре на базаре нос оторвали».

“Deeds, not words” – «Нужны дела, а не слова».

“East or West – home is best” – «В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше».

Businesslike manner and thriftiness:

“Strike while the iron is hot”  - «Куй железо, пока горячо».

“A bad workman quarrels with his tools”. –«Мастер глуп- нож туп».

“A bargain is a bargain” – «Уговор дороже денег».

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. –«Лучше синица в руках, чем журавль в небе».

“A cat in gloves catches no mice” –«Без труда не  вытащишь и рыбку из пруда».

“A little body often harbors a great soul” – «Мал золотник, да дорог».

“Cross the stream where it is shallowest” –«Не зная броду ,не лезь в воду».

“Grasp all, loose all” –«За двумя зайцами погонишься, ни одного не поймаешь».

“Business before pleasure” –«Делу время, потехе час».

Love to order and queues:

“First come, first serve” –«Кто первый пришёл, того и обслужили».

“A bad corn promise is better than a good lawsuit” –«Худой мир лучше доброй ссоры».

“A good dog deserves a good bone” –«По заслугам и честь».

“Be slow to promise and quick to perform” –«Обещай мало, делай много».

“Catch the bear before you sell his skin” –«Не дели шкуру неубитого медведя».

“Fool’s haste is not speed” –«Поспешишь – людей насмешишь».

Conclusion on chapter 2

We classified proverbs and sayings according 3 criterions: the proverbs and sayings that reflect the most bright character features of British people; offered classification on 3main  signs;  similar in meaning and using English and Russian proverbs and sayings, similar in using but different in their lexical contest, proverbs and sayings that have no Russian equivalents . We also gave some examples of proverbs and sayings that teach, give advice and help ; and another opposite group of the proverbs and sayings which expose foolishness, evil. All this classifications helped to achieve  a goal and solve a formulated problem. We made sure that proverbs and sayings are really reflection not only a part of  historical period but a national character of different peoples and nations.

Conclusion

The exploring work is to increase our knowledge of culture and life of English speaking country, to learn better thoughts and behavior of British people.

 Proverbs and sayings are a part of English culture. Through the centuries they were and will always stay actual despite of civilization and high-techs. In any time proverbs and sayings will be used in our speech to make it bright, interesting and they will always attract attention for researching.

Having analyzed more than a hundred proverbs and sayings we made the following conclusion:

-proverbs and sayings are polysemantic and bright. They are timeless and non social division-they are used by wealthy and poor men as well; 

-proverbs and sayings are rather difficult for translation into Russian and not all the proverbs have Russian equivalents;

-proverbs and sayings have deep meanings, life experience accumulated throughout centuries;

-and the most important thing is-proverbs and sayings teach, educate and really reflect a character this or that nation.