He who handles a nettle tenderly is soonest stung.轻轻拿荨麻,反被刺痛手。
此谚语出自一首古诗:
Tender handed stroke a nettle,
And it stings you for your pains;
Grasp it like a man of mettle,
And it soft as silk remains.
莎士比亚的戏剧《亨利四世》(Henry Ⅳ)中也有类似的话:
Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, softly.
荨麻有蜇毛,触之奇痛,以此为比喻,意思是说:面对困难要大胆果断,要抓住要害,不能优柔寡断。
表达同样的意思,有用斗牛作比喻的谚语:
Take the bull by the horns.或The bull must be taken by the horns.
面对凶牛不要畏缩,勇敢地抓住它的角,反而安全。对待困难,也是如此。
中国民间传说“打蛇要打七寸。”意思是对困难棘手的问题,大胆去抓住要害反而不危险。还有一句俗语“快刀斩乱麻”,意思是对复杂困难的问题,要做得干脆迅速。这些都和本条谚语有近似的意思。