Annotation

• This article is written by Kasimkhan Karlygash, the puple of the 10- th form. The article is about proverbs. As the title implies the article describes the definition and the history of proverbs, how they influence our speech and if they make it better. The aim of the article is to to explore  the world of English proverbs. The purpose of the article is to give the reader some information on the theme ‘Proverbs’. Karlygash draws reader’s attention to some methods of proverbs translation. Much attention is given to the grammatical structures of proverbs. From what the author says it becomes clear that having a rich vocabulary of  proverbs  will enrich  the speech, made it more natural. Proverbs  help  to learn English, because they are good example of English culture and language. They make speech alive and interesting. I think the article  will be interesting and useful for English learners, for teachers.

                   Shynybaeva Bakhtygul,

 teacher of English 

.

Introduction

            Where did a proverb come from? Where can it be used? All over the world free using proverbs in speech is a difficult problem for people learning English language as a foreign one. Proverbs often cause serious difficulties even with  people, who knows English very well. Proverbs make our speech more expressive, and imaginative. Having a rich vocabulary of  proverbs, you can not only understand shades   of meaning,  stylististics,  emotion, but also will enrich your speech, made it more natural. Proverbs  help us to learn English, because they are good example of English culture and language. They make speech alive and interesting.

Aims of the research:

-to find out what proverbs  are, what have they appeared for and how to use them.

--to explore  the world of English proverbs.

english russian proverb saying

The Objectives of the research:

-to identify the history of  proverbs;

-to understand the using of proverbs;

-to compare English, Russian and Kazakh proverbs.

- to find out methods of translating .

english russian pChapter I. What is a  Proverb?

A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim.

Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible (including, but not limited to the Book of Proverbs) and medieval Latin (aided by the work of Erasmus) have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own

    A proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable form and which is handed down from generation to generation. It would appear that nothing could be easier than writing down the definition of a proverb. Where did a proverb come from? Where can it be used? Proverbs are widely used in the society on the regular basis. Some scholars and popular writers have claimed repeatedly that proverbial language has passed from usage; however it remains an easily proven fact that proverbs are not "passer” and definitely not dead. This form of language helps to express our thoughts more exactly and vividly. Proverbs contain wisdom, humor, and usually fit many purports.

The Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs defines a proverb as a sentence that has been developed orally and is still used by the people of a region. It has usually come about from experience, and it is a statement that teaches learning within an experience. The World Book Encyclopedia gives a different explanation of the word: Proverb is a brief saying that presents a truth of some bit of useful wisdom. It is usually based on common sense or practical experience. The effect of a proverb is to make the wisdom it tells seem to be self-evident. The same proverb often occurs among several different peoples. True proverbs that have been passed from generation to generation, primarily by word of mouth. They may also have been put into written form. Proverbs help us to learn English, because they are good example of English culture and language. In old times people were learning Latin by using proverbs. Proverbs are useful material to show, how could one thought be understood in several different ways. They make speech alive and interesting.

Chapter II. History of Proverbs

There are many sources of proverbs and sayings appearing. For to be a proverb, this sentence must be popular and well known among the society. When a sentence starts to be a proverb, it becomes the part of common mind, so the proverb speaker doesn’t care who has invented it. So we can say that proverbs and sayings are invented by folk. Many proverbs, adding the everyday experience, the meaning of words was transforming to the proverb during long time without any announcing of this process. The phrase "Make hay while the sun shines”, which takes it’s appearing from everyday field-workers practice, is the example of these sort of proverbs. Every farmer sees the truth in these words, but when hundreds of people understood these words as they wanted, they realized that this sentence has several different meanings and people can use it for their own situations. After long time of practicing the method of "trys and mistakes - this phrase got it’s own common meaning and became a proverb. By the same way the phrase ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” became a proverb from the practical experience of trading dealers.

To the other side, many proverbs are written by definite people. If the proverb was invented in oral variant, of cause the author would be forgotten, but if the clever author invents a proverb and wrights it down, we can find (the source of these proverbs) out whom was this proverb written by. So, we can suppose that the most part of abstract proverbs and sayings were done by this way. For example:

The End justifies the means

 Каково начало, таков и конец.

Which appears from the theological doctrine in seventeen age, or "gold” thought:

 The wish is father to the thought

Желание быстрее, чем мысль.

Which was said by July Cizar.

But who can say that these proverbs didn’t become the part of traditional English culture a long before they were written down? The usage of proverbs and sayings took it’s rising in Shakespeare’s time, and perhaps the most part of proverbs, written by him existed before. But in less remarkable form. It is the same case with the Bible. Wise of it’s proverbs isn’t original.

Anyway, both cases, either folk or fiction are made into one. Because of "written word” someone’s clever words were given to people and if these words are liked by them into proverb.

The other important course of English Proverbs is foreign proverbs and sayings. IN this case, before be made into English these proverbs were invented and existed in Latin, Russian, French, or Spanish languages. In fact Shakespeare’s sayings were made proverbs very often. But we can’t say exactly that all of his sayings are his own creative. May be they were taken from other oral sources and paraphrased. Many of his proverbs kept their first original form:

 Brevity is the soul of wit.

 Краткость - душа остроумия.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

 Роза будет пахнуть так же хорошо, хоть как ты ее не назовешь.

“A good expression is always to the point” – speaks an old English proverb.

Proverbs belong to the traditional verbal folklore genres and the wisdom of proverbs has been guidance for people worldwide in their social interaction throughout the ages. Proverbs are easy to remember and useful in every situation in life due to their content of everyday experiences.

Here there is the general description of the proverb:

A proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable form and which is handed down from generation to generation.

This definition may serve as basis to briefly explain the history, form and function of the proverb. First, proverbs are used from generation to generation; they are traditional. Many proverbs are old and have their origins in classical antiquity and medieval times, and several proverbs are biblical. Yet, it is not only old proverbs that are used and handed down.

Proverbs change with time and culture. Some old proverbs are not in use any longer because they reflect a culture that no longer exists. However, new proverbs that reflect the contemporary society are created instead, e.g. Garbage in, garbage out, a proverb created due to our computerised time.

A proverb is usually recognised by the fixed, often short form and is therefore quite easy to memorise. Many proverbs also contain metaphors. Proverbs often have multiple meanings and are therefore dependent on context and should be analysed in whatever context they are found .

The traditional function of proverbs is didactic, as they contain “wisdom, truth, morals and traditional views”

Proverbs are basically conversational, but occur commonly in both spoken and written communication, e.g. lectures, newspapers, speeches, books, fables and poetry. Proverbs are used in a wide range of situations and according to Mieder (1993) there are no limits to the use of the proverb. They can be used to:

• “strengthen our arguments, express certain generalizations, influence or manipulate other people.

Durbin Rowland (1926) points at some arguments pro the use of proverbs in language studying. Rowland says that proverbs “stick in the mind”, “build up vocabulary”, “illustrate admirably the phraseology and idiomatic expressions of the foreign tongue”, “contribute gradually to a surer feeling for the foreign tongue” and proverbs “consume very little time”. Joseph Raymond (1945) states his arguments for proverbs as a teaching device. Proverbs are not only melodic and witty, possessed with rhythm and imagery; proverbs also reflect “patterns of

thought”. As proverbs are universal, there are analogous proverbs in different nations that have related cultural patterns. Proverbs are therefore useful in the students’ discussions of cultural ideas when they compare the proverbs’ equivalents in different languages.

The incorporation of proverbs in the foreign language classroom is rare. The suitability of proverbs in studying is due to their form; they are pithy and easy to learn, they often rhyme and contain repetition figures, and  hey contain frequently used vocabulary.

Also proverbs, besides being an important part of culture, are an important tool for effective communication and for the comprehension of different spoken and written discourses. The person who does not acquire competence in using proverbs will be limited in conversation, will have difficulty comprehending a wide variety of printed matter, radio, television, songs etc., and will not understand proverb.

Chapter III. Methods of translating proverbs

The study of proverbs is called paremiology (from Greek  proverb, maxim, saw") and can be dated back as far as Aristotle. Paremiography, on the other hand, is the collection of proverbs. A prominent proverb scholar in the United States is Wolfgang Mieder. He has written or edited over 50 books on the subject, edits the journal Proverbium, has written innumerable articles on proverbs, and is very widely cited by other proverb scholars. English proverbs and sayings have exclusive meaning, every proverb could be used in different situations, they could be understood mostly by English speaking part of the world, but not by any other people, because if foreigner translate them into his native language he will get something strange. A very little part of English proverbs and sayings can be translated and understood by words. In most cases English proverbs have the same meaning as proverbs in other languages, for example in Russian. So the main aim of an interpreter in translating English proverbs into Russian is to find the right method to translate them. Proverbs are very important part of English speech culture, so why an interpreter needs to be prepared for translating proverbs and sayings. There are some nuances and some kind of problems with translating. There are some methods of translating proverbs and sayings:

1. Using of equivalent:

There is a number of English proverbs, which meaning and stylistic direction are the same with Russian ones. These Russian proverbs are English equivalents. If interpreter needs to translate a proverb, he can find it’s equivalent in Russian language, if the proverb has it, the interpreter can use it in translation. For example:

He laughs best, who laughs last

 Смеется тот, кто смеется последним

 Like father, like son

 Каков отец, таков и сын

 Easy come, easy go

 легко пришло, легко ушло.

2. Using of variant:

In most causes an interpreter, when he translates a proverb, has to use Russian variant of English one, this variant has the same meaning, but it is expressed by another words. For example:

 A cock is valiant on his own dunghill.

 На своей улочке храбра и курочка.

A creaking door hangs long on its hinges.

 Битая посуда два века живет.

3. Calkque method:

Sometimes an interpreter needs to translate a proverb, which has no variant or equivalent in Russian language, so he has to use calkque method to translate it by words. This method can be used only if the meaning of a proverb is clear, when it is translated in Russian. For example:

 A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years.

 Умный семь лет не ответит на вопросы, которые дурак задаст за один час.

Chapter IV. Using of proverbs.

 A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim.Maxim - Generally any simple and memorable rule or guide for living, for example 'neither a borrower nor a lender be'. A proverb is a short , generally known  sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, moral and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed and memorizable form and which is handed down from generation to generation.

Proverbs are found in many parts of the world, but some area seem to have richer stores of proverb .

Proverbs are used by speakers for a variety of purposes sometimes they are used as a way of saying something gently. Other times they are used to carry more weight in a discussion. Proverbs can also be used to simple make a conversation or discussion more lively. In many parts of the world the use of proverbs  in a mark of being a good orator.Proverbs are multifunctional and flexible instruments of everyday reasoning of, although they may maintain solidified attitudes of traditional modes of thought of a certain culture. A proverb can be considered as a piece of  advice concerning a recommended direction of action. Proverbs are propositions loaded with hidden feelings , wishes and intentions of the speaker. They can serve as tools to cover individual opinions in public interacture situations.

Any language has a lot of proverbs. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. The proverbs that are still commonplace in conversations around the country today were used in much the same fashion hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. That proverbs relating to human behaviour centuries ago are still applicable today is one of the most fascinating aspects of the research.“A lot of proverbs are as relevant now as they were 1,000 years ago”, explains Professor Moran. “A proverb such as 'eight views, eight recollections' says that people recall events in different ways. Likewise, 'what a child sees, he does' shows that children learn through observation. There are also numerous proverbs dealing with gambling, all of which warn gamblers from believing their luck is about to change when in reality they are just losing more”.While proverbs are not a uniquely Irish phenomenon - just think of how many times you read of ‘old Chinese proverbs’ – Irish proverbs do take on a uniquely Irish fashion. One distinctively Irish trait is the ‘triad’ – a figurative expression in which three things are grouped together for the purposes of comparison. Many of these triads contain witty observations, such as this one that reveals the three things most difficult to comprehend - ‘the labour of the bees, the ebb and flow of the tide, the mind of a woman’.

The use of animals in proverbs, say Moran and O’Connell, is another one of the key characteristics of an Irish proverb. For example, selfish people are referred to as cats, “a cat purrs for himself”, people of limited intelligence are reflected to as donkeys, while people  who work hard are compared to horses. Animals play another crucial role in the Irish proverb, however, and that relates to man’s attempts to second-guess weather patterns.

Throughout the centuries, Irish people have used the behavior of animals as a way to plan for the coming day’s weather. “Our forefathers had a vested interest in trying to predict the weather , so they used animal behavior  and the pattern of the sky to guess what the weather would be like”, says Moran. “It shows the kinship between man and nature”.

In the course of their research, Moran and O’Connell came across one very obvious problem: it is not possible to translate all proverbs from Irish into English. While there are hundreds of Irish proverbs that made the switch into English and are today widely used, others did not translate. “There are literally thousands of proverbs, many of which are extremely difficult to translate”, says O’Connell. “Other lose meaning when they are translated. In Irish the proverb might rely on the repetition of the same sound, and you lose that by translating it into English, in the same way as you would if you translated Irish poetry into English”. Both the Bible and Latin have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.

Chapter V. Grammatical structures of proverbs

Proverbs in various languages are found with a wide variety of grammatical structures. In English, for example, we find the following structures (in addition to others):

• Imperative, negative – Don’t beat a dead horse.
• Imperative, positive – Look before you leap.
• Parallel phrases – Garbage in, garbage out.
• Rhetorical question – Is the Pope Catholic?
• Declarative sentence – Birds of a feather flock together.

The grammar of proverbs is not always the typical grammar of the spoken language, often elements are moved around, to achieve rhyme or focus.

Chapter VI. Use in conversation.

Proverbs are used in conversation by adults more than children, partially because adults have learned more proverbs than children. Also, using proverbs well is a skill that is developed over years. Additionally, children have not mastered the patterns of metaphorical expression that are invoked in proverb use. Proverbs, because they are indirect, allow a speaker to disagree or give advice in a way that may be less offensive. Studying actual proverb use in conversation, however, is difficult since the researcher must wait for proverbs to happen. An Ethiopian researcher, TadesseJaletaJirata, made headway in such research by attending and taking notes at events where he knew proverbs were expected to be part of the conversations.

Solomon’s  book of  Proverbs is such a complex book full of poetry. Proverb is universal known as the book of  wisdom.(Hobbins) This book tell the wisdom that God wants his people to do. Over the years many scholars have sought to understand the meaning of  proverbs. A Proverb is a poetry term that means short concise  memorable saying. These proverbs often have  figurative language such as personification , metaphors ,smiles and symbolism between two line . Proverbs are also worded to be lyrical and memorable , not to be  philosophical statements. Proverbs were oral before they were written. Even when they were printed most people did not have possession of a written copy. (Hobbins) Thus  proverbs were

constructed to be verbal with a punch and to be easily remembered. Figures of speech, vivid comparisons, alliterations and other rhetorical devices are freely used in the proverbs. To in the approved manner understand proverbs one must use imagination to enter the world created by the figures of speech. Frustrating to draw theoretical statements or philosophical logic from the proverbs misses the point. Their many other types of proverbs out there such as Chinese and English proverbs. The biblical proverbs try to essay the question for the meaning of life. The book of Proverbs  is a book that appears in the Hebrew Bible. The authorship credit of the book is a matter of dispute. The author that gets the universal credit for is King Solomon.  King Solomon is the son of David. King Solomon was known for the great amounts of wisdom that he used to bestow on his subjects. (Graham). The exact date when the Proverbs were made are still unknown. The only date that people can go off  of are the years that Solomon were in power. This book is known as the book of  wisdom as long as Job ,Eclesiastics, and Psalms. The major themes that are in the book of  Proverbs  the first being the family unit. The family is very important to the structure of the Christian church.

Chapter VII. English, Russian and Kazakh proverbs.

1.Білім – қуат.

Знание – сила.

Knowledge is power.

2.Бір қарын майды бір құмалақ шірітеді,

Паршивая овца все стадо портит,

One drop of poison spoils the whole tun of wine.

3.Әр елдің салты басқа, иттері қара қасқа,

Сколько стран, столько обычаев

Every country has its customs.

4.Сырты жалтырауықтың іші қалтырауық,

Наружность обманчива,

Appearences are deceptive - never judge from appearence.

5.Сиыр баласын торпағым дер, қарға баласын аппағым дер,

Всяк кулик свое болото хвалит,

Every cook praises his own broth.

6.Мысқалы аз, бірақ қымбат,

Мал золотник, да дорог,

A little body often harbours a great soul.

7.Іске уақыт, ермекке сағат,

Делу время, потехе час,

Business before pleasure.

8.Қыс арбаңды сайла, жаз шанаңды сайла,

Любишь кататся, люби и саночки возить,

After dinner comes the reconing.

9.Тамшы тама берсе тас жарады.

Капля камень точит.

Little strokes fell great oaks.

10.Өмір бойы үйрен,

Век живи - век учись,

Live and learn.

11.Ақылды көндім десе, ақымақ жеңдім дейді,

Дурак считает себя умным, а умный признает глупцом,

The fool does think he is wise.

13.Көргеніңді көңіліңе түй,

Учись на чужих ошибках,

Learn wisdom by the follies of others.

14.Денсаулық зор байлық,

Здоровье дороже богатства,

Good health is above wealth.

15.Демі бардың емі бар,

Чем ушибся, тем и лечись,

Take a hair of the dog that bit you.

16.Тазалық бар жерде денсаулық бар.

Чистота залог здоровья,

Agues come on horseback but go away on foot.

17.Досыңды қиналғанда бір сына, қуанғанда бір сына,

Друзья познаются в беде,

A friend in need is friend indeed.

18.Жүз сомың болғанша, жүз досың болсын,

Не имей сто рублей, а имей сто друзей ,

A friend in court is better than a penny in purse.

19.Жаңа дос жаныңда жүргенде, ескі дос есіңде жүрсін,

Старый друг лучше новых двух,

Old friend and old wine are best.

20.Ақымақ достан ақылды дұшпан артық,

Лучше явный враг чем фальшивый друг,

Better an open enemy than a false friend.

21.Әркімнің өз жері - жұмақ,

Человек без родины, что соловей без леса,

Person without motherland is a nightingale without forest.

22.Жатқан жыланның құйрығын баспа.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

23.Жеті рет өлшеп, бір рет кес.

Семь раз отмерь, один раз отрежь.

Look before you leap.

24.Адамды сөзіне қарап емес, ісіне қарап бағала.

Больше дела, меньше слов.

Actionss speak louder than words.

25.Өз үйім өлең төсегім.

Мой дом, моя крепость.

There is no place like home.

26.Көп тыңдап аз сөйле,

Много слов, мало дел.

Keep your mouth, shut and ears open.

27.Көп сөз бос сөз,

He that tolks much lies much.

Много слов, мало дел.

28.Еңбек етпеген ішіп жемейді.

Кто не работает , тот не ест.

He who does not work, neither shall be eat.

29.Жел соқпаса шөптің басы қымылдамайды,

There is no smoke without a fire.

Нет дыма без огня.

30.Алма сабағынан алыс түспейді.

Яблоко от яблони недалеко падает.

There is known by its fruit.

Questionnaire

Conclusion

To summarize my work I will give to my friends an advice: use the proverbs in your speech!  Proverbs make our speech more expressive, and imaginative. Having a rich vocabulary of  proverbs, you can not only understand shades   of meaning,  stylististics,  emotion, but also will enrich your speech, made it more natural. Proverbs  help us to learn English, because they are good example of English culture and language. They make speech alive and interesting. I want to say to the teachers of English language: use the proverbs in the classroom, it can improve students’ learning experiences, their language skills, and their understanding of themselves and the world. This happens because:

• Proverbs provide an opportunity for students to be knowledgeable experts as well as learners.
• Proverbs provide an opportunity for students to learn about each other and their shared values.
• Proverbs provide an opportunity for students to gain insight as they discuss their experiences and work out their understanding of proverb meanings.
• Proverbs provide an opportunity for students to use their home culture as a stepping stone into school culture.
• Proverbs provide an opportunity to improve thinking and writing as students both provide and receive information.