谚语是人类智慧的结晶，是富于色彩的语言形式,它同文学作品、诗歌一样是语言的精华,一般具有生动形象、喻义明显、富于哲理的语言特征。在一定程度上，英语谚语反映了英语民族的文化特点。英语谚语源远流长，它既有民间流传的谚语，又有来自《圣经》的、来自莎士比亚作品的和来自《伊索寓言》的，还有很多外来谚语。英语谚语中有许多有关动物的谚语，本人收集了以下几条： 
1.Bird 

(1) Kill two birds with one stone. 一箭双雕；一举两得。
(2) A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 双鸟在林不如一鸟在手。
(3) Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分。 
(4) It’s an ill bird that fouls¹ own nest. 家丑不可外扬。
(5) Fine feathers make fine birds. 人要衣装，马要鞍。 
(6) A bird is known by its note, and a man by his talk. 听音识鸟，闻言识人。
(7) Each bird loves to hear himself sing. 鸟儿都爱听自己唱。（自我欣赏）
(8) You cannot catch old birds with chaff².(粗糠). 用粗糠捉不住老鸟。（有经验的人难骗。） 
(9) Birds in their little nests agree. 同巢之鸟心儿齐。  

2. Cat 
(1) A cat has nine lives.猫有九条命；吉人天相。
(2) Cats hide their claws. 知人知面不知心。 
(3) All cats are grey in the dark.. 黑暗之中猫都是灰色的。（人未出名时看起来都差不多。） 
(4) A gloved cat catches no mice. 戴手套的猫，老鼠抓不到。（不愿吃苦的人成不了大事业。）
(5) When the weasel and the cat make a marriage, it is a very ill presage³. 黄鼠狼和猫结亲，不是好事情。）
(6) Who will bwll the cat? 谁去给猫系铃？（谁愿意为大家冒风险？） 
(7) The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream. 帽偷吃奶油的时候总是闭着眼睛。（掩耳盗铃）
(8) There are more ways of killing⁴ a cat than by choking it with butter. 杀猫的办法很多。（达到目的的途径很多。） 
(9) Care kill a cat. 忧虑愁死猫。 

3. Chicken 
(1) Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. 鸡蛋未孵出，先别数小鸡。（不要过早乐观。） 

4. Crow
(1) A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often. 江山易改，本性难移。 

5. Dog
(1) He who would hang his dog gives out first that it is mad. 欲加之罪，何患无词. 
(2) A staff is quickly found to beat a dog with. 欲加之罪，何患无词.
(3) Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌.
(4) Too much pudding will choke a dog. 布丁太多噎死狗。 
(5) Every dog has his day. 人人皆有得意时。
(6) Barking dogs don’t (seldom) bite. 爱叫的狗很少咬人。
(7) Let sleeping dogs lie. 勿惹事生非。
(8) Dead dogs bite not. 死狗不咬人。 
(9) All are not thieves that dogs bark at. 狗见了叫的不一定都是贼。（不要以貌取人。）
(10) Every dog is a lion at home. 狗在家门口就成了狮子。 
(11) Don’t be a dog (lying) in the manger. 莫学狗占马槽不吃草。（不要占着茅坑不拉屎。）
(12) Dog does not eat dog. 同类不相残。
(13) Scornful dogs will eat dirty puddings. 狗再傲慢也会吃脏布丁。
(14) A son never thinks his mother ugly,and a dog never shuns⁵ its owner’s home however shabby it is.儿不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家贫。 

6. Frog 
(1) The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. 井底之蛙，不知大海。 

7. Fox
(1) The fox may grow grey, but never good. 狐狸毛色可变灰，但是本性难移。
(2) The fox preys⁶ farthest from his hole. 狐狸捕食，远离洞府。（兔子不吃窝边草。） 
(3) When the fox preaches, then take care of your geese. 每当狐狸说教，当心鹅群被盗。
(4) When the fox says he is a vegetarian⁷, it’s time for the hen to look out. 狐狸说它吃素的时候，母鸡就得注意。 

        英语中有关动物的谚语（下）   

       8. Fish  

　　(1) The best fish swim near the bottom. 好鱼常在水底游。  

　　(2) Never offer to teach fish to swim. 不要班门弄斧。  

　　(3) Go to the sea, if you would fish well. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。  

　　(4) There’s as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it. 海里的好鱼多的是。  

　　(5) It is a silly fish that is caught twice with the same bait. 智者不上两次档。  

　　(6) If water is noisy, there are no fish in it. 咆哮的水中无鱼。（夸夸其谈者无真才实学。）。  

9. Hare  

　　(1) You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds(猎狗). 不能既和野兔一起跑又和猎狗一起追。（人不应两面讨好。） 

　　(2) The tortoise wins the race while the hare is sleeping. 兔子睡懒觉，乌龟跑赢了。  

10. Horse  

　　(1) You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink. 带马到河边容易，逼马饮水难。  

　　(2) Don’t ride the high horse. 勿摆架子。  

　　(3) A good horse cannot be of a bad colour. 好马不会毛色差。  

　　(4) A horse may stumble on four feet. 马有四条腿，亦有失蹄时。  

　　(5) A running horse needs no spur. 奔马无需鞭策。  

　　(6) Don’t put the cart before the horse. 不要将大车套在马前面。（处理问题应按先后次序，不要本末倒置。）  

　　(7) The common horse is worst shod. 公用之马，掌子最差。  

　　(8) Lock the barn door after the horse is stolen. 失马之后锁马厩。（亡羊补牢）  

　　(9) Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. 馈赠之马，勿看牙口。  

　　(10) Hair by hair you will pull out the horse’s tail. 一根一根拔，拔光马尾巴。（水滴石穿）  

11 . Mouse  

　　(1) It is a poor mouse that has only one hole. 狡兔三窟。  

　　(2) The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken. 只有一个洞的老鼠，很快就被抓住。  

　　(3) A speck⁸ of mouse dung will spoil a whole pot of porridge. 一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。  

12. Sheep  

　　(1) If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow. 榜样的力量是无穷的。  

　　(2) A lazy sheep thinks its wool heavy. 懒羊嫌毛重。  

　　(3) He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf. 甘心做绵羊，必然喂豺狼。  

13.Swallow  

　　(1) One swallow does not make a spring. 孤燕不报春。  

　　(2) One swallow does not make a summer. 一燕不成夏。  

14. Tiger  

　　(1) If you don’t enter a tiger’s den⁹, you can’t get his cubs¹⁰. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。  

15. Wolf  

　　(1) 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。  

　　(2) Who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl. 和狼在一起，就会学狼叫。  

　　(3) Man is a wolf to man. 人对人是狼。（人心狠，人吃人）  

　　(4) A growing youth has a wolf in his belly¹¹. 年轻人，在成长，吃起饭来像饿狼