A tattler is worse than a thief.饶舌的人比贼还坏。
本谚语强烈表达了对tattler(饶舌者)搬弄是非、泄露别人隐私这种人的憎恶。虽然人所共知thief偷窃别人的钱财是很坏的,但还不及偷窃别人的机密隐私的危害大,所以tattler就要比thief更坏了。谚语中tattler又作tale bearer。
指斥饶舌者的谚语还有:
He that talks much errs much.
He that talks much lies much.
talks much说得多了,必然会“加油加酱”,就变成搬弄是非。err本意“做错事”,这里作“说错话”解,也就是lie(说谎)。而谎言是长不了的,迟早会被识破。因此,人们又说:
Lies are always lame.
谎言腿不长。
同样意思的还有:
There is nothing to choose between bad tongues and wicked ears.
爱讲是非的人和爱听是非的人都不可取。
还可参阅:Who chatters to you, will chatter of you.