动物和我们人类生存在同一个地球上，它们与我们的生活息息相关。长期以来在对动物的细致观察中,在与动物的密切交往中，人们逐渐了解和掌握了它们的生活习性及特点，总结出很多经验，创造出许多谚语。这些谚语具有文字精炼、形象生动、言简意赅、节奏鲜明的特点，成为人们喜爱的语言表达形式。
据动物学家统计，目前地球上已知的动物大约有150万种， 而英语谚语中涉及的动物只有几十种。本文将与动物有关的英语谚语分别列举出来，由于篇幅有限，有些涉及狗、猫、马、狼、鸟、鱼等的英语谚语较多，不能一一列举，只能分别列举几句。
1
一句英语谚语中涉及一种动物的有
1. dog 狗
Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌。
An old dog will learn no new tricks. 老狗学不了新把戏；老年人很难适应新事物。
A good dog deserves a good bone. 好狗应该啃好骨头；有功者受赏。
Dog does not eat dog. 狗不吃狗；同类不相残。
2. cat 猫
A cat has nine lives. 猫有九条命。
A cat may look at a king. 猫也可以看国王；小人物也该有些权利。
Care killed a cat. 忧虑*死猫；忧虑伤身。
There are more ways than one to kill a cat. *猫的办法不只一个；达到目的的办法多得很。
3. fox 狐狸
A fox is not taken twice in the same snare. 一只狐狸不能以同一陷阱捉它两次。
A fox may grow grey, but never good. 狐狸会变老，却永远不会变好；江山易改，本性难移。
The fox changes his skin but not his habits. 狐狸可以改变它的皮毛，但不能改变它的习性。
The fox knows much, but more he that catches him. 狐狸很精明，不及猎狐人。
4. wolf 狼
Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl. 与狼为伴将学会嚎叫。
The wolf may lose his teeth, but never his nature. 狼牙可掉，狼性难改。
A thief knows a thief as a wolf knows a wolf. 贼了解贼，正如狼了解狼。
Hunger fetches the wolf out of the woods. 饥饿引狼出森林。
5. tiger 虎
He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount. 骑虎者难下。
The tiger’s backside shall not be touched. 老虎的屁股摸不得。
The tiger has once tasted blood is never sated with the taste of it. 一次尝到血，虎欲永难遏。
A tiger leaves a skin behind him. 虎死留皮；人死留名。
6. leopard 豹
The leopard cannot change his spots. 豹不能改变它身上的斑纹；江山易改，本性难移。
7. bear 熊
Sell the bear’s skin before one has caught the bear. 熊未到手先卖皮；过早乐观。
He who shares the honey with the bear hath the least part of it. 与熊分蜜糖，只得一点尝。
Kings and bears often worry their keepers. 国王和熊常使守护人忧心忡忡；伴君如伴虎。
We need not take the bear by the tooth. 我们没有必要去牵着熊的牙齿；我们不要做不必要的冒险事。
8. lion 狮子
Wake not a sleeping lion. 莫吵醒睡狮；别自找麻烦。
The lion is not so fierce as he is painted. 狮子没有画上的凶猛。
It is not good to wake a sleeping lion. 睡狮莫惊。
The lion's skin is never cheap. 狮皮从不贱。
9. zebra 斑马
A zebra does not despise its strips. 斑马不会小看它身上的条纹。
10. ape 猿猴
An ape’s an ape, a varlet’s a varlet, though they be clad in silk or scarlet. 尽管衣绸穿红，猿猴还是猿猴，侍从还是侍从。
The higher the ape goes, the more he shows his tail. 猴子爬得越高，尾巴越加暴露。
11. monkey 猴子
The higher the monkey climbs, the more you see of his ass. 猴子爬得越高，它的尾巴就越加暴露。
12. deer 鹿
Where the deer is slain, some of her blood will lie. 鹿死总有血迹留。
13. boar 野猪
The rage of a wild boar is able to spoil more than one wood.野猪一怒毁树多。
14. elephant 大象
Many straws may bind an elephant. 草多好缚象；人多力量大。
Don’t use an elephant to crack a nut. 核桃不用大象踩；*鸡焉用牛刀。
15. snake 蛇
Take heed of the snake in the grass. 提放草里的蛇；当心潜伏的危险。
A bad conscience is a snake in one’s heart. 做贼心虚。
16. crocodile 鳄鱼
To shed crocodile tears. 流鳄鱼眼泪；猫哭老鼠假慈悲。
17. horse 马
A man may lead a horse to the water, but cannot make it drink. 牵马到河边易，逼马饮水难。
It is useless to flog a dead horse. 鞭打死马无益。
Money makes the mare go. 钱使母马走；有钱能使鬼推磨。
Never swap horses while crossing the stream. 行到河中不换马。
18. ox/bull/cow 公牛/公牛/母牛
You cannot flay the same ox twice. 一头牛不能剥两次皮。
An old ox makes a straight furrow. 老牛犁沟直；生姜还是老的辣。
The bull must be taken by the horns. 遇牛要抓角；快刀斩乱麻。
If you sell the cow, you sell her milk too. 卖了母牛吃不了奶；事难两全。
19. ass/donkey 驴
An ass endures his burden, but not more than his burden. 驴能负重，但也不宜过重。
Every ass likes to hear himself bray. 凡是驴子都爱听自己的叫声。
The ass wags his ears. 驴子摇耳朵，傻瓜装聪明。
If a donkey bray at you, don’t bray at him. 如果驴朝你叫，你不要朝他喊；别和蠢人一般见识。
20. mule 骡
He who wants a mule without a fault, must walk on foot.指望骡子无缺点，只有自己徒步行。
21. pig/swine/hog/sow 猪/猪/猪/母猪
Never buy a pig in a poke. 不要隔袋买猪。
Cast pearls before swine. 把珍珠丢在猪面前；明珠暗投；把珍贵的东西送给不识货者。
What can you expect from a hog but a grunt? 猪嘴里除了哼哼声，还会有什么；狗嘴里吐不出象牙。
One cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. 猪耳朵做不成丝线包；朽木不可雕也。
22. sheep/lamb/goat 绵羊/小羊/山羊
One scabbed sheep infects the whole flock. 一只羊生疮，整群羊遭殃。
There is a black sheep in every flock. 个个羊群有黑羊；每个羊群都有害群之马。
as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. 偷大羊偷小羊反正都得挨绞刑；一不做，二不休。
If the beard were all, the goat might preach. 如果长了胡子就什么都行，那么山羊也可以说教了。
23. camel 骆驼
It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. 最后一根草，压断骆驼腰。
The camel going to seek horns, lost his ears. 骆驼想要角，反而丢耳朵；偷鸡不成蚀把米。
24. hare 兔子
First catch your hare then cook him. 先抓住兔子再煮兔肉；勿谋之过早。
If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. 同时追赶两只兔子，一只也追不到；脚踏两只船，必定都落空。
He that will have a hare to breakfast must hunt overnight. 早餐想吃野兔肉，头晚就须去捕捉。
25. rat/mouth 老鼠
Rats desert a sinking ship. 老鼠逃离一艘正在沉没的船；船沉鼠先逃。
The mountains have brought forth a mouse. 大山生小鼠；费力大，收效小。
The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken. 只有一个洞的老鼠很快就被抓住。
A speck of mouse dung will spoil the whole pot of porridge. 一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。
26. mole 鼹鼠
Don’t make a mountain out of molehill. 不要将鼹鼠丘看作大山；不要小题大做。
27. bird 鸟
Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分。
He that will take the bird must not scare it. 捕鸟者不能惊鸟。
A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush. 双鸟在林不如一鸟在手；多得不如现得。
Kill two birds with one stone. 一石两鸟；一箭双雕。
28. swallow 燕子
One swallow does not make a spring. 孤燕不报春。
One swallow does not make a summer. 一燕不成夏。
29. crow/raven 乌鸦
Crows do not pick out crows’ eyes. 乌鸦不啄乌鸦的眼睛；同类不相残。
A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often. 乌鸦即使常洗澡，羽毛也不会变白；江山易改，本性难移。
The crow thinks her own bird fairest. 乌鸦总以为自己的雏鸟最美；孩子都是自己的好。
Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，乌鸦就成群。
30. hawk 鹰
Hawks will not pick hawks’ eyes out. 老鹰不啄老鹰眼；同类不相残。
Empty hands no hawk allure. 空手不能诱鹰来。
31. owl 猫头鹰
An owl is the king of night. 猫头鹰是黑夜之王。
He who lives nearest a wood is not afraid of owls. 家在林边住，不怕猫头鹰；见多不怪。
32. nightingale 夜莺
Nightingales will not sing in a cage. 夜莺困笼不唱歌。
33. swan 天鹅
The swan sings when death comes. 死期来到，天鹅歌声美妙。
The swan sings before death. 天鹅临死歌声美。
34. sparrow 麻雀
Two sparrows on one ear of corn make an ill agreement. 一穗两雀争，意见乱纷纷。
A slow sparrow should make an early start. 笨鸟先飞。
35. peacock 孔雀
The peacock has fair feathers, but foul feet. 孔雀虽有华羽，但有贱足。
36. lark 云雀
If the sky falls, we shall catch larks. 天塌正好捉云雀；切勿杞人忧天。
Lovers live by love as larks live by leeks. 情侣靠爱情生活，正如云雀靠韭葱生活。
37. cuckoo 布谷鸟
The cuckoo comes in April, and stays the month of May; sings a song at Midsummer, and then goes away. 布谷鸟，四月来，五月一直在，仲夏唱支歌，然后就离开。
38. butterfly 蝴蝶
Break a butterfly on the wheel. *鸡用牛刀。
Take not a musket to kill a butterfly. *蝶不用枪；*鸡焉用牛刀。
39. frog 青蛙
The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. 井底之蛙，不知大海。
40. fish 鱼
All’s fish that comes to the net. 到了网里都是鱼；只要到手全都要。
Fish begins to stink at the head. 鱼烂头先臭；上梁不正下梁歪。
It is good fishing in troubled water. 水混好摸鱼。
The best fish smell when they are three days old. 最好的鱼三天也要变臭；作客不可久留。
41. cock/hen/chicken公鸡/母鸡/小鸡
A cock is bold on his own dunghill. 公鸡总是在自己的粪堆上称雄；在家个个逞英豪。
A barley corn is better than a diamond to a cock. 对公鸡来讲，一粒大麦粒要比一颗钻石好。
A black hen lays a white egg. 黑鸡生白蛋；丑妇生俊儿。
Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. 鸡蛋未孵出，先别数小鸡；不要过早乐观。
42. duck 鸭
A duck will not always dabble in the same gutter. 一只鸭子不会常在同一条沟里玩水。
43. goose/gander 鹅/雄鹅
The older the goose, the harder to pluck. 鹅越老，越是难拔毛；年纪越大，越是一毛不拔。
What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. 母鹅爱吃的公鹅也爱吃；适用于甲也适用于乙。
Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs. 勿*下金蛋的鹅。
44. crab螃蟹
You cannot make a crab walk straight. 不能使螃蟹直行；莫强人所难。
45. oyster 牡蛎
He was the bold man that first ate on oyster. 第一个吃牡蛎的人是勇士。
46. worm 虫
As worms are bred in a stagnant pool, so are evil thoughts in idleness. 虫蛆在死水中孵化，邪念在懒惰中养成。
Tread on a worm and it will turn. 蚯蚓被踩也会动；困兽犹斗。
47. bee 蜜蜂
Honey is sweet, but the bee stings. 蜜糖是甜的，但蜜蜂会螫人。
Use a book as a bee does flowers. 像蜜蜂采花那样利用书；读书要吸取其精华。
No bees, no honeys; no work, no money. 没有蜂，没有蜜；没有劳动，没有收益。
48. fly 苍蝇
A close mouth catches no flies. 嘴唇紧闭，苍蝇难进；口紧不招祸。
To a boiling pot flies come not. 苍蝇不叮沸水壶。
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. 蜜比醋更能抓住飞虫；好话比尖刻言词管用。
49. ant 蚂蚁
None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing. 蚂蚁不说话，但最善于说教。
50. flea 跳蚤
If you kill one flea in March you kill a hundred. 三月*跳蚤，*一少百。
2
一句英语谚语中涉及两种动物的有
51. cat and mouse 猫和鼠
A cat in gloves catches no mice. 戴手套的猫捉不到耗子；怕玷污手指的人做不出什么事情来。
When the cat’s away, the mice will play. 猫儿一跑耗子闹；猫儿不在，鼠儿成精。
52. cat and fish 猫和鱼
All cats love fish but fear to wet their paws. 猫都爱吃鱼，却怕爪弄湿。
53. cat and dog 猫和狗
The cat and dog may kiss, yet are none the better friends. 猫狗虽相吻，总难成好友。
54. cat and lion 猫和狮子
A baited cat may grow as fierce as a lion. 被逼急的猫，凶得像狮子。
55. owl and nightingale 猫头鹰和夜莺
When the owl sings, the nightingale will hold her peace. 猫头鹰唱歌，夜莺屏息。
56. eagle and lion 鹰和狮子
A good surgeon must have an eagle’s eye, a lion’s heart, and a lady’s hand. 一位好的医生必须有鹰的眼、狮子的心和女人的手。
57. lion and mouse 狮子和老鼠
A lion may come to be beholden to a mouse. 狮子也有感谢老鼠的时候；弱者也能帮强者。
A lion at home, a mouse abroad. 在家凶如狮，在外却如鼠。
58. lion and sheep 狮子和羊
A lion among sheep, and a sheep among lions. 在羊群中是狮子，在狮子中是羊群；欺软怕硬。
59. lion and stag 狮子和牡鹿
An army of stags led by a lion would be more formidable than one of lions led by a stag. 一只狮子率领的一群鹿，比一只鹿率领的一头狮子更难对付。
60. dog and lion 狗和狮子
A living dog is better than a dead lion. 活狗胜于死狮。
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. 宁为狗头，勿为狮尾；宁为鸡首，勿为牛后。
Every dog is a lion at home. 每条狗在家都是狮子；狗在家中，八面威风。
A barking dog is better than a sleeping lion. 吠犬胜于睡狮。
61. dog/hound and hare 狗和兔子
Dogs that put up many hares kill none. 狗把许多野兔赶出巢穴，必然一只也咬不死；多谋寡成。
You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. 你不能既同兔子跑，又随猎犬追；人不能两面讨好。
62. dog and wolf 狗和狼
While you trust to the dog, the wolf slips into the sheepfold. 当你以为狗可信，羊圈已被狼溜进；不能全依靠别人。
63. ass and horse 驴和马
Better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse. 宁为驴头，勿为马尾；宁为鸡首，勿为牛后。
64. sheep/lamb/goat and wolf 羊和狼
It is a foolish sheep that makes the wolf his confessor. 蠢羊才向狼忏悔。
The lone sheep is in danger of the wolf. 孤羊遇狼，必然遭殃。.
The life of the wolf is the death of the lamb. 狼的生就是羔羊的死。
Don’t trust a goat with the kitchen-garden, or a wolf with sheepfold. 不能请羊管菜园，不能请狼管羊圈。
65. lamb and ox 羊和牛
A lamb is as dear to a poor man as an ox to the rich.穷人的一只羔羊比富人的一头牛还要珍贵。
66. wolf and fox 狼和狐狸
The wolf and fox are both of one counsel. 狐狸和狼是同一种意见；狐狸和狼是一丘之貉。
The wolf and fox are both privateers. 狐狸与狼，抢劫大王。
67. wolf and crow 狼和乌鸦
When the wolf grows old, the crows ride him.狼老乌鸦欺。
68. fish-guts and sea-maw 鱼下水和海鸥
Give your own fish-guts to your own sea-maws.鱼肠要给自己的海鸥吃；好处留给自己人；肥水不流外人田。
69. hare and lion 兔子和狮子
Hare may pull dead lions by the beard. 野兔可捋死狮之须；死老虎人人敢打。
70. crow and sheep 乌鸦和羊
Carrion crows bewail the dead sheep and then eat them.乌鸦吃死羊，先要哭一场；猫哭老鼠假慈悲。
71. fox and goose 狐狸和鹅
When the fox preaches, then beware of your geese.狐狸说教时，当心你的鹅；听到狐狸说教，当心鹅儿被盗。
The old goose plays not with foxes. 老鹅不跟狐狸耍。
A fox should not be of the jury at a goose's trial. 审鹅不应狐陪审。
72. goose and swan 鹅和天鹅
All his geese are swans. 自家的鹅都是天鹅；敝帚自珍。
73. cock and bull 鸡和牛
He that will have his farm full, must keep an old cock and young bull. 要使农家富又足，必须养鸡又养牛。
74. kite and hawk 鸢和隼
A kite will never be a good hawk. 鸢永不会变成隼。
75. fox and hen/chicken 狐狸和鸡
When the fox says he is a vegetarian, it is time for the hen to look out. 狐狸说它吃素时，母鸡该更加小心。
Though the fox run, the chicken hath wings. 狐狸虽会跑，小鸡有翅膀。
76. fox and poultry 狐狸和家禽
The sleeping fox catches no poultry. 睡着的狐狸捉不到鸡。
77. eagle and sheep 鹰和羊
Eagles fly alone, but sheep flock together. 鹰单飞，羊群集。
78. fox and lamb 狐狸和羊
It is an evil sign to see a fox lick a lamb.狐狸舔羔羊，不是好迹象；黄鼠狼给鸡拜年，没安好心。
79. fox and lion 狐狸和狮子
The fox’s wiles will never enter the lion’s head.狐狸的诡计永远进不了狮子的头脑。
80. weasel and cat 黄鼠狼和猫
When the weasel and the cat make a marriage, it is a very ill presage. 黄鼠狼和猫结亲，不是好事情。
81. dog and flea 狗和跳蚤
He that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas. 与狗同眠的人必然惹一身跳蚤；同坏人为伍必然吃亏。
82. tortoise and hare 乌龟和兔子
The tortoise wins the race while the hare is sleeping. 兔子睡觉，乌龟跑赢。
83. bird and worm 鸟和虫
The early bird catches the worm. 早起的鸟儿有虫吃；捷足先登。
84. snail and swallow 蜗牛和燕子
The snail slides up the tower at last though the swallow mounteth it sooner. 燕子一飞就上塔，蜗牛悄悄爬，最后也上塔。
85. fly and trout 苍蝇和鳟鱼
You must lose a fly to catch a trout. 舍得苍蝇作诱饵，才能钓得鳟鱼归。
86. fly and hornet 苍蝇和黄蜂
Laws catch flies and let hornet go free. 法网只捕蝇，黄蜂由它去。
87. hake and herring 鳕鱼和鲱鱼
We lose in hake, but gain in herring.丢了鳕鱼，却捕到了鲱鱼；失之东隅，收之桑榆。
有关动物的英语谚语是整个英语谚语中的重要组成部分，其语言简洁凝炼，准确鲜明，生动形象，富有独特魅力，其寓意深刻，耐人寻味，发人深思，给人以启迪和警示，富有教育意义，值得我们认真学习和掌握。
