a leopard cannot change its spots
英语[编辑]
词源[编辑]
源自耶利米书13:23：Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.（古实人岂能改变皮肤呢？豹岂能改变斑点呢？若能，你们这习惯行恶的便能行善了。）
谚语[编辑]
a leopard cannot change its spots
- 江山易改，本性难移。字面意思为“豹不能改变它的斑点”。
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, 出自 Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, 出版于 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]，页号 24，列号 2:
- King. […] Lyons make Leopards tame. / Mo[wbray]. Yea, but not change his ſpots:
- 理查王： […] 雄狮的神威可以使豹子慑伏。毛[勃雷]：是的，可是不能改变它身上的斑点。
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23，列号 1:
- Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?
- 古实人岂能改变皮肤呢？豹岂能改变斑点呢？
- 1820, 沃尔特·司各特, 章号 II, 出自 艾凡赫, 卷 III, 爱丁堡: […] Archibald Constable and Co.；伦敦：Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC，页号 60:
- End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be.
- 让我们言归于好。现在得给犹太人的赎金定个价钱了，因为豹子身上不会没有斑点，犹太人也永远是犹太人。
近义词[编辑]
- the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature
- the fox may grow grey but never good
- you can take the person out of the place, but you can't take the place out of the person