Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch 鸡未孵出不要数

杨舟选译

Today we talk about a proverb2 often used in American English.

A proverb is a short， well-known saying that usually offers a piece of advice. Our example of a proverb takes us to a farm—a chicken farm， to be exact.

Our explanation3 is part science， part folklore4.

First， the science.

You know that chickens come from eggs， of course. A hen lays eggs and then they hatch into chicks. Well， not all of them. Some eggs do not have a baby bird.

So， at our farm， a hen produces 15 eggs. If the farmer counts the eggs， she might expect to have 15 chicks once the eggs are hatched. But then five of those eggs do not hatch. Her expectations5 were not met， so she feels disappointed. She tells her friend how sad she feels. The friend may say to her， “Well， dont count your chicken before they hatch.”

Another way of saying this proverb is “Dont count your chickens until they are hatched.”

So， this proverb means you should not depend on something that has yet to happen. It is unwise to make plans based on something that hasnt happened. Another meaning of this proverb is this： Do not assume6 to have everything you want until you actually have it in your hands.

Now， lets talk about the folklore part of our explanation.

“Dont count your chickens until they are hatched” is a very old saying. Language experts say it appears in different forms and in many different cultures. It is also used in Aesops Fables7， a collection of stories from between 1，300 and 1，400 years ago.

The fable we are talking about is known as The Milkmaid 8 and Her Pail 9. A long time ago， a young woman carried a bucket of milk on her head. As she walked， the milkmaid dreamed of a better life. She wanted to be rich. So， she thought she could sell her milk and then use the money to buy chickens. With chickens she could sell eggs and earn more money！

With lots of money， the milkmaid could shake her head “no” to all the men in her village who wanted her hand in marriage. The young woman was so caught up in her thoughts that she actually shook her head “no”. This caused the pail of milk to fall from her head and crash to the ground. Along with it—her dreams of becoming rich and independent.

When she told her mother what happened， her mother said， “My child， do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”

（英語原文选自：VOA Special English）

今天我们来谈谈美国英语中一个常用的谚语。

谚语是简短的、众所周知的说法，通常会提出一条建议。有条谚语的例子会把我们带到一个农场——确切地说，是一个养鸡场。

我们的解释一部分和科学有关，一部分和民间传说有关。

首先是和科学有关的部分。

你当然知道小鸡是从鸡蛋里孵出来的。母鸡下蛋后蛋孵化成小鸡。好吧，并不是所有的蛋都可以，有些蛋孵不出小鸡。

所以，在我们的农场，一只母鸡产15个鸡蛋。如果农民数了蛋，她可能会期望这些蛋能孵出15只小鸡。但后来有五个蛋没有孵出来，她的期望没有达成，所以会感到失望。她告诉朋友她有多难过。朋友可能会对她说：“好吧，鸡孵出来之前就别数了。”

这句谚语的另一种说法是“鸡孵出来了再数”。

所以，这句谚语意味着你不应该指望那些尚未发生的事情。根据尚未发生的事情制定计划是不明智的。这句谚语的另一个意思是：在真正拥有你想要的一切之前，不要以为你已拥有了（不要过早乐观）。

现在来谈谈我们的解释中关于民间传说的部分。

“鸡未孵出不要数”是一句很古老的谚语。语言专家说它以不同的形式出现在许多不同的文化中。它在《伊索寓言》这个1300年到1400年前的故事集中也被用到过。

我们要谈论的寓言故事是《挤奶女工和她的桶》。很久以前，一个年轻女子头上顶着一桶牛奶。这位挤奶女工一边走，一边梦想着过上更好的生活。她想发财，所以她认为她可以卖掉牛奶，然后用这些钱买鸡。有了鸡，她可以卖鸡蛋，赚更多的钱！

有了很多钱，挤奶女工就可以对村里所有想和她结婚的男人摇头说“不”。这名年轻女子陷入了自己的思绪，并真的摇了摇头。这个动作导致牛奶桶从她的头上掉了下来，摔在地上。和牛奶桶一起摔在地上的还有她变富有和独立的梦想。

当她告诉母亲发生了什么事时，母亲说：“我的孩子，不要在小鸡被孵出来之前就数数。”