Russian Proverbs (4)

This is a collection of Russian proverbs and sayings supplied from the bookA Book of English and Russian Proverbs and Sayings by author M. Dubrovin, Moscow, "Prosvesheniye", 1993.

You needn't be afraid of a barking dog, but you should be afraid of a silent dog.

People who often lose their temper and make many loud threats seldom carry them out. Dogs that bark most bite least

One does not look for good from good.

By continually striving for the best one way waste good opportunities

Better a dove on the plate than a woodgrouse in the mating place.

It is better to accept something small than to reject it and hope to get more later on

You cannot break through a wall with your forehead.

It is often wise to give way to the wishes off others; for to oppose them might bring ruin upon oneself

Better late than never.

It is better to come (to repent, to do something,etc) late than never to come (to repent,to do something,etc.) at all

Better to stumble than make a slip of the tongue.

It is better to do something wrong that to say something wrong, because it is sometimes more difficult to improve something said than something done

One who sits between two chairs may easily fall down.

A person who cannot decide which of two courses to follow, who tries to follow two courses at the same time,may fail to follow either

Beware of a quite dog and still water.

You should not afraid of people who make threats and shout in a loud voice; it is the people

A sparrow in the hand is better than a cock on the roof.

It is better to be content with what we have or can easily get than to lose it by trying to get something better, as this may never happen

A bird may be known by its flight.

A person is know and judged by his actions or behavior

One fisherman sees another from afar.

People of similar interests,tastes or characters are attracted to each other and stay close together

Take the bull by the horns.

You should deal with something difficult boldly without delay

Once burned by milk you will blow on cold water.

After some bitter or painful experience you will be on your guard against similar troubles our sufferings

Idleness is the mother of all vices.

There is no excuse for doing nothing - when people do not have enough work to do,they into trouble.

You cannot pull a fish out of a pond without labour.

Restraint and caution achieve nothing; if you want to get something,you should immediately start working for it

No money is taken for just looking ( at somebody or something).

There is nothing to prevent an ordinary person from l looking at a person of great importance so long as he tries to do no harm

He would exclaim "Ah" looking at himself.

People are inclined to shut their eyes to their own sins and vices.

One would like to eat fish, but would not like to get into the water.

Said of a person who is anxious to obtain something valuable but does not want to take the necessary trouble or risk

Where something is thin,that's where it tears.

Each person or feature in an enterprise or process must be equally reliable; an enterprise or process may fail because of a single weakness or fault

A fly will not get into a closed mouth.

It is desirable, and may be more effective, remain silent in some circumstances