He who has mind to beat his dog will easily find a stick.有心打狗好找棒。
这条谚语意译就是中国谚语“欲加之罪,何患无辞。”这是指责蓄意害人者的恶劣行径,意思是如果要陷害人,先给人家找些莫须有的罪名,总是容易的。这样就可“名正言顺”地去害死人家。
还有三条近似意思的谚语,也都用dog作比喻:
If you want a pretext to whip a dog, say that he ate the frying pan.
如果你借口想打狗,就说它偷吃了炸锅。
A staff is soon found to beat a dog with.
欲加之罪,何患无辞。
Give a dog a bad name / an ill name, and hang him.
给人加个坏名声,他就永远洗不清。
以上谚语除了指出害人者的阴谋外,还有劝人不要轻信流言诽谤的意思。这可参阅另一组:Fling dirt enough and some will stick.