摘要:“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”直译为“既不做借债人,也不做放贷人;既不借债也不放贷”,其核心是对财务往来的谨慎态度——通过避免借钱和放贷,规避因金钱产生的人际关系矛盾、财务风险及道德困境,本质是倡导“财务独立以守护关系
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”直译为“既不做借债人,也不做放贷人;既不借债也不放贷”,其核心是对财务往来的谨慎态度——通过避免借钱和放贷,规避因金钱产生的人际关系矛盾、财务风险及道德困境,本质是倡导“财务独立以守护关系纯粹”的处世原则,与中文“亲兄弟,明算账”的避险逻辑相通,但更强调“从源头切断金钱往来”的极端谨慎。该短语并非民间谚语,而是文学原创经典,源自威廉·莎士比亚的悲剧《哈姆雷特》(Hamlet)第一幕第三场。波洛涅斯(Polonius)作为谨慎的朝臣,在儿子雷欧提斯(Laertes)即将远赴法国时,给出一系列人生忠告,其中“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”是核心财务建议。他认为:“For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry”(放贷常连本带利丢失,还会失去朋友;借债则会削弱节俭的美德),这一观点深刻影响了英语世界对“金钱与关系”的认知,短语此后脱离剧本,成为普世性的处世箴言。如:
When dating, she always follows ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’—she thinks lending money to a partner will make the relationship too complicated.”
约会时,她始终遵循“既不借债也不放贷”的原则——她认为给伴侣借钱会让感情变得过于复杂。
He broke up with her because she kept borrowing money from him; he realized ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ is necessary for a healthy romantic relationship.
他和她分手了,因为她总向他借钱;他意识到“既不借债也不放贷”对健康的恋爱关系至关重要。
Before moving in together, they agreed on ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ to avoid fights about money that could hurt their love.
在同居前,他们约定“既不借债也不放贷”,以防因金钱争吵伤害感情。
After years of marriage, they still stick to ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’—they keep separate bank accounts and never borrow from each other.
结婚多年,他们仍坚持“既不借债也不放贷”——两人分开管理银行账户,从不互相借钱。
His father told him: ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ with friends, for even the closest pals may fall out over unpaid debts.
他父亲告诉他:“和朋友相处要既不借债也不放贷”,因为即使是最亲密的伙伴也可能因未还的债务闹翻。
Teachers often use ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ to teach students about financial responsibility and how to maintain good friendships.
教师常常用“既不借债也不放贷”教导学生财务责任感,以及如何维护良好的友谊。
The politician warned his team: ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ with lobbyists—accepting financial help could lead to charges of corruption.
这位政客告诫团队:“不要向说客借债,也不要放贷给他们”——接受经济援助可能会引发贪腐指控。
Small business owners often follow ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ to avoid debt risks that could bankrupt their companies.
小企业主通常遵循“既不借债也不放贷”,以规避可能导致公司破产的债务风险。
In international relations, some countries adhere to ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ to avoid being pressured by creditor nations.
在国际关系中,部分国家坚持“既不借债也不放贷”,以避免受到债权国的压力。
Military leaders remind soldiers: ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ in the barracks—borrowing money from comrades can damage discipline and team trust.
军事将领提醒士兵:“在军营里要既不借债也不放贷”——向战友借钱会破坏纪律和团队信任。
Everyone here wants to get rich quick, but let me tell you—‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’ unless you want to end up like the guys who lost their houses over bad loans. 《华尔街之狼》
这里的每个人都想快速致富,但我告诉你们——“要么既不借债也不放贷,要么就等着像那些因不良贷款失去房子的人一样结局”。
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be” with the Bingley siblings—we don’t want them to think we’re after their money.
“和彬格莱兄妹相处时,既不要借债也不要放贷”——我们可不想让他们觉得我们是图他们的钱。《傲慢与偏见》
2025年上海市高考英语书面表达
- 题目:
假设你是李华,你的英国笔友Tom来信说他最近因借钱给同学未收回而烦恼,询问你的建议。请你回信,内容包括:1. 提及“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”的观点;2. 分析金钱往来对友谊的影响;3. 给出具体建议。
- 高分范文片段:
I’m sorry to hear about your trouble. You may have heard the famous advice from Shakespeare: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” This doesn’t mean being unkind, but avoiding unnecessary conflicts—when money is involved, even close friends may feel awkward or upset, just like what you’re going through now. For the future, you could politely refuse if someone asks to borrow money, and focus on sharing hobbies or thoughts with friends instead of talking about money.
- 解析:写作需紧扣“短语应用+问题分析+建议”三要素。范文先自然引入短语,解释其“非冷漠,而是避险”的核心,再结合Tom的经历说明影响,最后给出可操作建议(拒绝借钱、转移话题),符合“观点-论证-实践”的写作逻辑,且短语使用贴合语境,不生硬。
来源:翅膀英语一点号