1. A baker’s wife may bite of a bun,

    A brewer’s wife may drink of a tun,

    A fishmonger’s wife may feed of a conger,

    But a servingman’s wife may starve for hunter.

    面包师的妻子吃面包，

    酿酒师的婆娘有酒喝，

    鱼贩子的女人吃海鳗，

    佣人们的家人常挨饿。

2. A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning;

    A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight.

    早来天边红，羊倌不放牧。

    晚来天边红，羊倌露笑容。

3. A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay, but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.

    五月的蜂群价值一车干草。七月的蜂群不抵一只苍蝇。

4. An Englishman is never happy but when he is miserable, a Scotchman never at home but when he is abroad, and an Irishman never at peace but when he is fighting.

英格兰人只有在受苦时才幸福，苏格兰人只有在他乡时才舒适，爱尔兰人只有在作战时才安宁。

5. For every evil under the sun

    There is a remedy or there is none;

    If there be one, try and find it;

    If there be none, never mind it.

    世间的一切弊病，有的可以救药，有的不可救药；

    有救药，努力去找；无救药，就别放在心上。

6. Fortune is a woman; if you neglect her today, expect not to regain her tomorrow.

    好运是个女人，你今天忽略了她，明天就别想得到她。

7. He that buys land buys many stones;

    He that buys flesh buys many bones;

    He that buys eggs buys many shells;

    He that buys good ale buys nothing else.

    你买田，会买进很多石头；

    你买肉，会买进很多骨头；

    你买蛋，会买进很多蛋壳；

    你买好酒，就只是买进好酒。

8. He that is not handsome at twenty, nor strong at thirty, nor rich at forty, nor wise at fifty, will never be  handsome, strong, rich or wise.

二十不俊一辈子丑，三十不强一辈子弱，四十不富一辈子穷，五十不智一辈子愚。

9. In settling an island, the first building erected by a Spaniard will be a church; by a Frenchman, a fort; by a Dutchman, a warehouse; and by an Englishman, an alehouse.

在海岛定居时，西班牙人先造教堂；法国人先造要塞；荷兰人先造仓库；而英国人则先造酒店。

10. Live not to eat, but eat to live.

活着不是为了吃饭，吃饭则是为了活着。

11. Marriage, with peace, is the world’s paradise; with strife, the life’s purgatory.

和睦家庭，人世天堂；家庭不睦，人间地狱。

12. The father buys, the son bigs, the grandchild sells, and his son thigs.

父买，子修，孙儿卖，重孙上街当乞丐。

13. The miserable man maketh a penny of a farthing, and the liberal of a farthing sixpence.

贪心不发财，慷慨赚钱多。

14. The snail slides up the tower at last, though the swallow mounteth it not.

蜗牛虽慢，一步一步爬上高塔；矫燕敏捷，却在塔下盘旋。

15. We should never remember the benefits we have offered nor forget the favor received.

忘掉你给别人的好处，但要牢记别人对你的帮助。

16. Nothing to be got without pains but poverty.

只有贫穷可以不劳而获。

17. I slept and dreamed that life was beauty;

I awake and found that life was duty.

我睡时梦见生活即美丽，我醒来发现生活是责任。

18. The man who saves when young will have more to spend when he is old.

年少节省，年老不愁。