If the cap fits, wear it.如果帽子合适,不妨戴上。
这句谚语的意思是,如果批评恰当,就应该接受。这里的wear it,亦可改作put it on。有时人们单说“The cap fits.”以表示说得中肯。
这条谚语常为英美作家所引用,十九世纪英国作家狄更斯(Charles Dickens)在他的长篇小说Martin Chuzzlewit中有这么一段话:
…Miss Charity Pecksniff begged with much politeness to be informed whether any of those very low observations were levelled at her;and receiving no more explanatory answer than was conveyed in the adage “those the cap fits, let them wear it.”
中国人也有把戴帽子比作批评的,例如给人家不切实际的过分批评,就可称为给人家“戴大帽子”。类似的谚语有:
When all men say you are an ass, it is time to bray.
当所有人都称你为驴子,就只好接受学驴子叫。