How do English proverbs translate into your language?

Francesca wrote:

I've always wondered why in England "One swallow does not make a summer" while in Italy it doesn't make a spring

Hi Francesca

I suppose Finns are "more British" than you! We also say: 'One swallow doesn't make a summer', we just use a poetic word order and place the 'not' at the very beginning.

By the way, I find the Finnish equivalent of 'Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise' untranslatable. I don't think there is an English equivalent for three Finnish words we use in a corresponding proverb, which isn't a big surprise as one or two of the three words aren't actually used in any other context. They are so-called nonce words.

Cheers
CB

Francesca wrote:

In Tuscany we say wolves

Fran, of course you're right! Sardinia we say Wolves lose their fur, but not their habits, too!

 A few more:

They are as  alike as two peas. In Finnish: They are like two berries.

He is as angry as a bear. = He is as angry as a bee.

To bury one's head in the sand. = To put one's head in the bush.

Cheers, CB

@Doll: I think Cool Breeze just asks for the colloquial translations of English idioms.

Here are the Vietnamese version of some sayings:

VI: Nhập gia tùy tục.
(When you join a family, you must follow the family customs).
EN: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

VI: Thà làm đầu chuột còn hơn đuôi trâu.
(Better be the head of a mouse than a tail of a buffalo).
EN: Better be the head of a dog than a tail of a lion.

Tre già khó uốn.
(You can hardly bend an aged bamboo).
You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

Lợn lành chữa thành lợn què.
(To turn a healthy pig into a lame one).
The remedy may be worse than the disease.

Nuôi ong tay áo.
(To keep bees inside one's sleeves).
He who brought up a crow to pick out his own eyes.

...

There are many else VNmese equivalent proverbs but I'm quite lazy now :D