豹子不会改变身上的斑点。本性难移;恶习难改。

作者:天天来源:中华励志网 2012-03-01

A leopard won’t change its spots. 豹子不会改变身上的斑点。本性难移;恶习难改。

据《圣经·旧约·耶利米书》(Bible, Old Testament, Jeremiah)第13章第23-24节记载,耶路撒冷(Jerusalem)居民烧香献祭别神,罪孽深重,但不听劝告,上帝耶和华(Jehovah)晓喻以色列先知(prophet)耶利米(Jeremiah),“埃塞俄比亚人岂能改变肤色?豹子岂能改变身上的斑点?若能,你们这习惯行恶的,便能行善了。所以我必须驱散他们,像旷野的风吹走碎秸一样。(Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Therefore I will scatter them like stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.)”耶路撒冷的人本性难改,罪责难逃,上帝预言,他们必将遭到外来强敌的攻击。果然,不久,他们全都被巴比伦王掳往巴比伦(Babylon),成为巴比伦囚。“The leopard can not change its spots.”逐渐成为一句广为使用的谚语,指人的本性难改。请看例句:

He was released from prison and ended up in prison again two years later. The leopard can not change its spots.

他从监狱里释放,两年后又进去了,真是本性难移。

You want to make him become better?! Can the leopard change its spots?

你想让他变好点?豹岂能改变斑点?

Some criminals will reform themselves and turn a new leaf in their life, some won’t, as a leopard won’t change its spots.

(有些罪犯会改过自新,重新做人,而有些却本性难移。)

A man can no more change his skin than a leopard won’t change its spots.

(人不会改变本性,就像豹不会改变斑点一样。)

在莎士比亚(William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)的《查理二世》()第1幕第1场中,查理王劝说毛勃雷停止和波林勃洛克的争斗:

查理王:一切意气之争必须停止;把他的手套给我;雄狮的神威可以使豹子慑服。

毛勃雷:是的,可是不能改变它身上的斑点。要是您能够取去我的耻辱,我就可以戴上我的手套。我的好陛下,无瑕的名誉是时间最纯粹的珍宝;失去了名誉,人类不过是一些镀金的粪土,染色的泥块。

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