【文章內容簡介】 things as signs for their goods. Some proverbs came from ancient people deeply rooted beliefs such as their superstitious tendency and belief. In the past, English people believed that if a person spoiled salt from the salt bottle, misfortune and bad luck would follow. Then this person must scatter the spoiled salt from their left shoulders so as to drive off their ill luck. In turn, English people have got the proverb Help me to salt and you help me to sorrow. Some proverbs e from people‘s distinction between sexes such as their discrimination against women. It es from a deeply rooted traditional viewpoint. Such as Three women and a goose make a market。 Long hair and short wit。 The more women look in their glass， the less they look to their house. Originating from religion Bible is essential for British and American cultures. It is said that their cultures are not integrated without Bible. It is safe to say that Bible influences every aspect of its disciples‘ life. Consequently, many sayings and sentences in Bible have been popularly accepted. They have been deeply rooted among people and people frequently use them to cite a truth or express their ideas without paying any attention to their origins any more. These sayings are no longer only confined to religion and they have bee proverbs which reflect English people religious faith such as Every man must carry his own cross This proverb is from Bible, Matthew, on the grounds of Matthew, the main idea is like this: ―As the soldiers went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon。 they pelled this man to carry Jesus‘ cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a skull), they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall。 but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots。 then they sat down there and kept watching over him. Over his head they put the charge against, which read, ―This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.‖‖ From this, we can know that cross means sufferings. The proverb tends to tell us that everyone should put up with misery in daily life and undertake the life‘s burden. Another proverb is also from the Bible: One doesn‘t live only by bread. It is from the Bible, Deuteronomy， the general idea is: ― Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his mandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with Manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that es from the mouth of the Lord.‖ From this, we can know that material is not the only thing that is indispensable to men. Spirit is also very important. Is one is only searched for material, he will be considered as animals, for the most distinctive characteristic between men and animals is that men have pursuit of spirit but animals haven‘t. Many images in these proverbs have didactic meanings. English people believe in Christianity, which is by far the most influential religion in the west. Every aspect of man‘s life is touched by this religion, so that it has bee part of western culture. And the Bible, which includes the Old Testament and the New Testament, is regarded as the scriptures. Almost every family has a version of Bible, so it has e to be one of the major sources of English culture. Many English proverbs show the doctrines of their religion. For example, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. According to the doctrines of Bible: all human beings are brothers and sisters, and they should help each other. So when you give hands to others, never keep the memory that you have helped them. Another example, If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. It implies that if one has little knowledge, it is difficult for him to teach others some useful things. Even if he tried to help others, he would do nothing good to them. Originating from literary works Many English proverbs involve events or characters of English literature, especially from Shakespeare. Shakespeare‘s insight into human beings, his sensitivity to the problem of state, and his genius with words have left an everlasting mark on the English language and the thinking of Englishspeaking people all over the world. Native speakers of English quote his works every day, often without realizing they are doing so. Although his plays were written over three hundred years ago, many English proverbs from his plays are cited monly in daily English. Shakespeare‘s works are probably the most colorful literature origin of proverbs. For example, All is not gold that glitters. This proverb is from the great works of Shakespeare The Merchants of Venice. It shows us that those who have a good appearance are not really learned. So we should be careful not to be deceived by those who are superficially flashy but without substance. Another example, Patience perforce is medicine for a mad dog is from Shakespeare‘s works Antony and Cleopatra. It tells us that those who cannot endure anything would lose his temper likes a mad dog. Many English proverbs are also from The Fables of Aesop. These proverbs are very concise and humorous, and they reflect the essence and the true meaning of life. It is very easy for people to understand them and to put them i nto practice. Many of them are passed down till today. For example, The camel going to seek horns, lost his ears. The general idea of the allusion is: a cow showed off his horns in front of a camel. The camel was env