Misfortunes never come singly.祸不单行。
此条谚语也可写作:Misfortunes seldom come alone。
英国诗人Robert Herrick在他的诗篇“Sorrows Succeed”中写道:“When one is past,another care we have; Thus woe succeeds a woe, as wave a wave.”
同样意思的谚语还有:
It never rains but it pours.
除非不下雨,下雨则倾盆。(即:“祸不单行”)
One misfortune comes on the neck of another.
One woe doth tread upon another's heels.
以上两句正相当于中国成语“祸不旋踵”。中国还有两句俗语:“福无双至,祸不单行。”
上面的诗句和谚语其实只是悲观者的论调。乐观主义者正好有一句意义相反的谚语:
One victory followed on the neck of another.
胜利接踵而来。
还有一句相反句:
Lightning never strikes the same place twice.
闪电决不会击中同一地点。