Mouth and Heart Should Never Part

When doing things, I am often in two minds. This is because I have been taught by two teachers who teach me to do things in two different, and often quite opposite ways. My first teacher often tells me to Call a spade a spade and say what I mean and mean what I say while my second teacher often warns me against talking a lot because she believes that Speech is silver, silence is golden and that A closed mouth catches no flies. What bewilders me is that my first teacher thinks that Speak the truth and embarrass the devil while my second teacher tells me that No silence was ever written and that Speak little, do much. When I am conversing with other people, the left hemisphere of my brain asks me not to beat about the bush but to talk turkey while the right hemisphere of my brain encourages me to Be swift to hear, slow to speak. I know from my childhood that Mouth and heart should never part, and yet, in real life communication situations, I have to lie: lie to the boss, lie to my friends, lie even to my family members. I certainly know that The mouth that lies slays the soul, but if the mouth doesn’t lie, it will get people’s goat.
    【注】
    1 be in two minds （習(xí)）猶豫不決
    2 Call a spade a spade. （諺）有啥說啥。
    3 warn somebody against doing…… 告誡某人不要
    4 Speech is silver, silence is golden. （諺）講話是銀，沉默是金。
    5 A closed mouth catches no flies. （諺）閉上的嘴不惹禍。
    6 Speak the truth and embarrass the devil. 大膽講真話，魔鬼也害怕。
    7 No silence was ever written. （諺）不說話別人就抓不住把柄。
    8 Speak little, do much. （諺）話要少說，事要多做。
    9 beat about the bush （習(xí)） 說話兜圈子
    10 talk turkey （習(xí)）有什么就說什么
    11 Be swift to hear, slow to speak. 多聽，少言語。
    12 Mouth and heart should never part. （諺）心口如一。
    13 The mouth that lies slays the soul. （諺）說謊的嘴傷害靈魂。
    14 get somebody’s goat （習(xí)）惹怒某人，惹某人生氣