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Proverbs: Some Listeners’ Favorite Sayings
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More expressions about a common truth or belief. Transcript of radio broadcast:
02 March 2009
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Correction attached
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. Recently, we presented a program about proverbs. 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 her
favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act
wise." She also says she is making an
effort to use this saying in her 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. (MUSIC) This
VOA Special English program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus. We will present more programs about proverbs
in the future. And you can find more
WORDS AND THEIR STORIES at our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. ___ Correction: An earlier version of this page incorrectly used masculine pronouns for a listener in Egypt named Wafaa; Wafaa is a female name.
Comments:
1. Some proverbs are very similar in worldwide
"To hit two birds with one stone" is very popular in Turkiye, which means to get two profits by making only one action. Loves to everybody.
Submitted by: Mustafa (Turkiye)
04-03-2009 - 04:56:48
2. proverb
"One letter is enough if there is someone"
Submitted by: Sharifi (Afghanistan)
03-29-2009 - 08:41:45
3. Proverb listening
I love it the way it is.
Submitted by: abdul ali (Pakistan)
03-25-2009 - 05:56:16
4. hello everybody in group VOA
thanks a lot of VOA.i felt my level english is more better special in promounciation and listening.these day before i really not understand when i contract with forein people.thanks to VOA one more
Submitted by: le van quynh (ha noi-viet nam)
03-24-2009 - 08:01:08
5. first step
the first step of every work is hard.
Submitted by: Muslim Mukhtar (Afghanistan)
03-23-2009 - 13:39:55
6.
if my father sneezes,i will catch cold
Submitted by: mohamed kassas (Egypt)
03-22-2009 - 04:00:26
7. i love american english
i like this site because . i love american english but before i could not learn english . now i feel free . this site gives so much infor mation to me about amercan news and storie ..... thanks alot
Submitted by: jamie (india)
03-21-2009 - 08:51:06
8. Some sort of a bad prov
"Drunky man has even a sea below his kneels", which means that nothing frightens or hurts him.
Submitted by: ivan1 (Russian federation)
03-20-2009 - 15:01:38
9. Thank
I like the VOA special English.
Submitted by: LiMo (China)
03-20-2009 - 09:46:05
10. learning english
I am so delighted that I can learn some useful thing from voa special engllish.and I got a question how can i get the writen idioms that you use in the radio.thanks
Submitted by: bhezad (afghanistsan)
03-18-2009 - 05:01:40
11. Suggestion
My Saggestion is that some the proverb mentioned in above does not have the meaning with and i by myself could not coutch the meaning of them
Like: If you risk nothing, then you risk everything
Thanks for you perfect program.
Submitted by: Hedayatullah (Afghanistan)
03-17-2009 - 05:45:38
12. English
Teach for using Grammar and understanding english. Style for listening.
Submitted by: Dedy dwinarto (indonesia)
03-15-2009 - 22:58:54
13. "Special English" is super!
I would like to thank all people that make "Special English" programme. I was studying English by myself some years and I always was looking for programme like yours, where I could read and hear at the same time in order to improve my pronunciation. But I could not find. When my friend advised me this site I was exciting! This is it I need! Now after some lessons I feel my English is much better. Thank you very much and good luck!
Submitted by: Yana (georgia-armenia)
03-14-2009 - 14:57:42
14.
thank you
Submitted by: hesham ali (Egypt)
03-14-2009 - 14:31:23
15. thanks to voa
hello im guy roland and i d like to thank all the voa broadcaster especially those of special english for the great help they give us to learn english .thank you very much and god bless you
Submitted by: akre (ivory coast)
03-12-2009 - 15:07:19
16. about proverbs - good advices
If you risk nothing, then you risk everything." and Your defeat now is your victory in the future." these two proverbs I liked very much. I hope you will show much more proverbs in the future. Thank you.
Submitted by: sapka (kosovo)
03-12-2009 - 09:44:51
17. integrated english skill
i surf internet every day and enjoy with voanews website. thank you for traning my english skill.
Submitted by: weer (Bangkok, Thailand)
03-11-2009 - 03:23:14
18. Of life and truth
Shakespeare:
"While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil!"
Submitted by: W A Tunio (Sind, Pakistan)
03-10-2009 - 19:59:53
19. Of sorrows
"O Gertrude, Gertrude,
When sorrows come, they come not single spies
But in battalions." Shakespeare ( Hamlet)
Submitted by: W A Tunio (Sind, Pakistan)
03-10-2009 - 19:52:33
20. proverb
"a man who answers every surmons by town crier will mot plant corn in his field"it is about to say that when you take your time to help every passing by you will not merely succede
Submitted by: hamed (ivory coast)
03-10-2009 - 12:32:02
21. proverb
when the cock crows in the morning, he belongs to one household. but his voices is the property of the neighborhood
Submitted by: hamed (ivory coast)
03-10-2009 - 12:24:57
22. proverb
give ur smile to every one but give ur love to only one.
Submitted by: kajeen (iraq)
03-09-2009 - 11:31:30
23. Proverb
I think you should give more than one similar proverb at a time so that we can understand the proverb and use it correctly. Thank you very much indeed!
Submitted by: Nguyen Tien Khang (Vietnam)
03-07-2009 - 15:34:04
24. english
a mule grazzing with hours imagines to be equals
Submitted by: oamar (somalia)
03-06-2009 - 16:22:44
25. Proverb
Thanks for VOA special English program.
My favorite proverb is "The ocean became as a result of the many little raindrops and the knowledge became as a result of the many little information". But I'm not sure for my translation.
Thanks
Submitted by: Ariuntuya (Mongolia)
03-06-2009 - 12:49:27
26. Pro
If the talk from silver, then the silence from gold.
one bird in a hand better than ten on a tree.
Submitted by: Osama (LBY)
03-06-2009 - 00:59:08
27.
"If I give you some milk you dont ask me the cow."
Here is a similar proverb from Hungary: Give him your little finger and he'll take your arm. The same it is in english: Give him an inch and he'll take an ell. This means that you are well disposed to him and he will be a pretentious man.
Submitted by: Szövetség Vácért (Hungary)
03-05-2009 - 12:53:30
28. My favorite proverbs
Hello Voa.My name's Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen from VietNam.I want to share with you my favorite proverbs.I think these are similar to yours.
- No pains,no gains.
- Well beagun is half done.
- Every dog has its day.
- If you lose one go,try another.
- Failure is the mother of success.
- Man proposes,God disposes.
- A friend in need is a friend indeed.
- Barking dogs seldom bite
- Better late than never
- A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
- Barking dogs seldom bite
- He laughs best who laughs last
- Let bygones by bygones
- Once bitten twice shy
- Honesty is the best policy
- One man's meat is another man's poison
- No master,no realization.
Those are my favorite proverbs and by the way i would like to thank the Voa program and those who stand behind articles especially Shelly Gollust, Faith Lapidus, Steve Ember, Babara Klein.Your voices are wonderful.The program has a variety of useful information which helps me lead a better life in using these proverbs as a direct
Submitted by: Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen (VietNam)
03-05-2009 - 12:09:33
29. VOA - A TEACHER 4 ALL
Your VOA Special English program is not only a teacher at school but a master in life. 1000s of thanks to my dear VOA. Le Quoc An and His students in Vietnam.
Submitted by: LE QUOC AN (VIETNAM)
03-05-2009 - 09:21:02
30. Proverb
Thanks it all are very nice proverbs, my favorite proverb is " As you sow so shall you reap" which is very popular in Afghanistan.
Submitted by: Mohammad Shaker (Afghanistan)
03-05-2009 - 05:48:39
31. Hi friends
It's a meaningful topic!Sometimes u should learn from those proverbs because they are reall useful.My favorite saying:never give up,dare to fail and do thing yourself
Submitted by: Luongthuan (Vietnam)
03-05-2009 - 03:40:41
32. proverb
that is an african proverb .if I give you some milk you dont ask me the cow
Submitted by: hady (egypt)
03-05-2009 - 01:35:34
33. my say
thank you very much and go ahead,really we appreciate your works. for my favorite proverb, I like " a stitch in time saves nine"
Submitted by: ibrahim atiya gomaa (egypt)
03-04-2009 - 14:40:50
34. VOA
Think twice ... act wise. I took the correct decision, because only VOA "make my day!
Submitted by: Marcolino (Brazil)
03-04-2009 - 11:02:30
35. words and their stories
i enjoy learing new words and phrases on VOA. good show! and i have a doubt. what is the word for a person who confuses other. please reply.
Submitted by: gunaseelan.c (India)
03-04-2009 - 03:59:50
36. thinking
How interesting proverbs are!!
We can find similar proverb in our own languages, that means we can understand each other whererever we live.
Submitted by: Tra (Vietnam)
03-04-2009 - 02:16:20
37. proverbs and saying
some of proverbs are "to shot two birds with one stone"and " to awake early or go to rent" also
" take the advise that make you crying and don't take that make you laughing"
Submitted by: achouri boualem (Algéria)
03-03-2009 - 20:19:04
38. friends
A friend in need is a friend indeed
Submitted by: lilisoo (Egypt)
03-03-2009 - 18:26:18
39. provebs
every camel has pased two years ago
Submitted by: mohamed shire (somalia)
03-03-2009 - 17:45:22
40. Proverb
Practice makes perfect: it is realy a nice and usful proverb in Afghanistan.
Submitted by: Shoaib (Afghanistan)
03-03-2009 - 17:22:00
41. clever proverb
i liked the one wich our friend miguel mentioned: You are slave from your words and owner of your silence. i gonna try it..
Submitted by: Amir (Iran)
03-03-2009 - 16:13:58
42. A proverb
'Man in war never fear with bullets' it means that we should not be afraid by the problems we face, because accepting to live in this world suggest we will always be exposed to trials.
Submitted by: elidicaprio (USA)
03-03-2009 - 15:34:03
43. Hello voa
when we don't have what we like, we must like what we have.
Submitted by: veasna (cambodia)
03-03-2009 - 08:43:22
44. Egypt
"Think twice, act wise."
its great one
Submitted by: Dagher (Egypt)
03-03-2009 - 02:10:28
45. Proverbs: Some Listeners' Favorite Sayings
It's very interesting! There are lots of them, and I will tell you one, it is Finders Keepers, Loosers Weepers.
Thank you again! Wonderful lessons!
Submitted by: Carlos Edson da Cruz (Brazil)
03-03-2009 - 01:39:40
46.
"if you risk nothing, you risk everything". Good one, I like.
Submitted by: Quang ()
03-02-2009 - 16:11:12
47. A tiny, friendly comment & contribution.
Comment is, you dealt with Wafaa from Egypt as a man while this name only apply on women! So Wafaa is a girl ! By the way it's a beatiful name in Arabic. it does mean: constancy, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity !
Finally, my contribution is : Without hope the heart would break.
Submitted by: Hafeez Y. Ibrahim (Libya)
03-02-2009 - 15:54:17
48. Proverb
"If you want something done right, do it yourself" It is my favorite proverb.
Submitted by: Jargal (Mongolia)
03-02-2009 - 15:38:33
49. Proverb
I like the saying : "Charity begín at home" . You should help your family and your friends before helping others .
Submitted by: Thien Nhien (Viet NAm)
03-02-2009 - 13:15:04
50. PROVERBS
THANKS A LOT FOR THIS SITE BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH, IT MUST INCLUDE ALL CULTURES. I HOPE YOU CAN DO AS SOON. WITH MY BEST WISHES!!!
Submitted by: HUSAYN USTUN (TURKEY)
03-02-2009 - 11:25:32
51. proverbs always give us instructions
when I am sad and lose courage, I like to search many proverbs.
one of the biggest reasons for that is to gain a hope.
In particular, My favorite " Man should keep his friendship in constant repair."--> I think it is good word. ha!
Antway I think this program is nice!
Submitted by: euiyeonghwang (Korea)
03-02-2009 - 10:18:31
52. Saying and proverbs
I enjoy proverbs ,and it,s my favorite book in the bible.We have many proverbs and in our culture some one who knows a lot of profverbs is seen as wise person , my favorite proverb is 'we make right a tree when it 's still young'which means that one should correct the behaviour of our children when they are still youngs because if they have grown up ,it will be difficult to change their chracter.
Submitted by: Habitegeko Reverien (Rwanda)
03-02-2009 - 09:59:02
53. Most powerful comment
The comment, "No comments!" is the most powerful comment.
Submitted by: W A Tunio (Sind, Pakistan)
03-02-2009 - 08:30:54
54. Proverb
I have some of the most common proverbs that are usually told in my country and especially in my ethnic group. These are:
"what the eyes has seen, the heart does not forget"
"What has failed the duck the chicken can't swallow"
I ask for your comment.
Submitted by: Aaron Mwanza (Zambia)
03-02-2009 - 07:43:27
55. What I like best is,
As my best proverb, I'd go for, "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
I think if everyone take the trouble of following the lesson learned from this proverb, the world will be a better place to leave in.
The Korean proverb that I wish to make known to other people out there is
"A word can pay off your heavy debt."
which implies that by your way of saying, you could even get yourself out of difficult situation.
THANKS so much for your reading.
Have a nice day.!!
Submitted by: Carre Kim (The Republic of Korea)
03-02-2009 - 05:36:16
56. love me love my dog
If you love anyone, you should love both their trong points and weak points. It is my favorite proverbs.
Submitted by: lethuysen (Vietnam)
03-02-2009 - 05:01:13
57. Proverb
In persian, there are many proverbs that people use them in life, for example " Water does not trickle out of his hand" that means he is skinflint person or "
Submitted by: manoochehr (Iran)
03-02-2009 - 04:45:11
58. How to thank you, VOA--my friend !
Ladies and gentlemen of VOA:
Is there a proverb to show someone's thanks to those people who DO help other people greatly?
Indeed, I'd like to thank you all to present a lot of interesting and meaningful features to me, day by day, month by month, and year by year.
Submitted by: Frank Tang (China)
03-01-2009 - 16:14:58
59. a proverb
You are slave from your words and owner of your silence
Submitted by: Miguel Zanuttini (Argentine)
03-01-2009 - 15:49:32
60. Sindhi Wisdom
Taking this opportunity, I share a saying translated from Sindhi into English, "Those who do not listen to their inner voice are deaf to the world around them."
Submitted by: W A Tunio (Sind, Pakistan)
03-01-2009 - 15:36:24
61. Proverb
"Where there is a will, there is a way.", yes,it's wonderful!It's compact but meaningful.
Submitted by: nhd (vietnam)
03-01-2009 - 14:19:59
62. chinese proverb
there must be have a teacher when three people stay together.
Submitted by: jay peng (china)
03-01-2009 - 13:39:58
63. my proverb
they are all great proverbs. I love them.
and my favorite proverb is "if your dream is big enough, nothing is impossible"
Submitted by: Hoang Thanh (Viet Nam)
03-01-2009 - 13:19:30
64. proverb
we have thasands proverb in persian language, for example " it's clear like day" this means is very
clear what you do, or "he say to dor which wall listen" this means you say about someting but your main mean's is ather tings !
Submitted by: alireza (iran)
03-01-2009 - 09:12:57
65. thanks
thank you all you are for proverbs you sent because it will used for me to improve my english skills ,thank you too much ,please send again and again ,it is important for me to omprove my english.i began recently voa special english lessner.
thank you
Submitted by: wedaje Truneh solomon (Ethiopia)
03-01-2009 - 08:57:31
66. proverb
"you can take ahorse towater, but you can not make him drink" , " don't cray over spilted milk" is my favorite proverb .
thank you;;
Submitted by: amr (egypt)
03-01-2009 - 08:27:08
67. learning english
learning english myshelf
Submitted by: maikimoanh (vietnam)
03-01-2009 - 01:59:46
68. Proverb
"A Drop of blood is thicker than a pond of water",
"Tell me who is your friends, i'll tell you who do you like" is my favorite proverbs, thanks alots about this lession
Submitted by: Ngoc Nam (Korea)
03-01-2009 - 01:02:08
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