You can't touch pitch without being defiled.岂能出污泥而不染!
此谚语中,touch pitch比喻“接触坏人”,或“处于恶劣环境中”,being defiled比喻“接受坏的影响”。此句用了双重否定:can't与without。用肯定语气表达的谚语如下:
Touch pitch, and you will be defiled.
处于恶劣环境中,就会受坏影响。
另一些类似谚语,也用比喻:
If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.
如果你和狗同睡,跳蚤也会爬到你身上。
One is not smelt where all stink.
末句正好相当于中国谚语:“如入鲍鱼之肆,久而不闻其臭”,比喻长期处于恶劣环境中自己也不自觉变坏了。
“沥青(pitch)”是深黑色的,所以英文常用pitch喻黑色,即所谓as black as pitch;中文常用“墨”喻黑色,即所谓“墨黑”,一般都是贬义的。中国成语“近朱者赤,近墨者黑”,前句比喻受好影响,后句比喻受坏影响。以上谚语虽然比喻环境对人影响之深,但世上也有出污泥而不染者。
类似意思还可参阅另一组谚语:Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl.