「發光的不一定都是金子」究竟何意？
What Does "All That Glitters Is Not Gold" Mean?
「發光的不一定都是金子」到底何意？
本文大約1500字，預計閱讀時間6Mins
The common idiomatic expression, "all that glitters is not gold," means that some things that are "glittery" — things often considered attractive or desirable — aren』t necessarily good.
英語中有一句常見的俗語「All that glitters is not gold」，意思是說一些「閃閃發光」，令人心生嚮往的東西，不一定都是什麼珍貴的的東西（金子）。
In contrast, things that are not as appealing may actually have great value.
相反，那些低調暗淡的東西反而可能具有真正的價值。
This idea is held in numerous cultures, but the saying itself is often attributed to Shakespeare.
很多文化中都有同樣的思想，但這句成語常常被認為是莎士比亞的的原創。
Well-known allusions to the bard or the meaning of his words come from Thomas Gray, J.R.R. Tolkien, and some unexpected cultural sources.
一些廣為人知的典故或引用乃是出自托馬斯·格雷、J·R·R·托爾金等人之手，當然還有一些意想不到的出處。
Like many of the famous Shakespeare lines, "all that glitters is not gold" is an inaccurate quote.
和許多莎士比亞名言一樣，對「All that glitters is not gold」的引用也是不準確的。
As it appears in The Merchant of Venice, the line is "all that glisters is not gold," and it is written in a locket contained in a gold casket.
在《威尼斯商人》中,「All that glisters is not gold」這句話是寫在金匣子里的。
The prince of Morocco, who has been attempting to win Portia』s hand, finds and chooses it.
一直傾心於鮑西亞的摩洛哥王子選擇打開這個金匣子。【譯者註：出自威尼斯商人第二幕第七場，摩洛哥王子需要從金、銀、鉛三個盒子中選出一個裝有鮑西亞照片的，但王子選了金盒子，裡面的紙條上寫了一段話，包括這句。】
Going for the gold casket is an obvious choice, and it represents a failure on the prince』s part to recognize that value isn』t only found in the most expensive packages.
一般人都會選擇這個閃閃發光的金匣子，但對王子來說卻意味著失敗，打開之後他才意識到價值並不總是有最貴重的包裝。
Thomas Gray, the 17th century poet, echoes Shakespeare"s sentiments in his poem, On a Favorite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes.
17世紀英國詩人托馬斯·格雷，在其《Ode on a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes》這首詩中引用了莎士比亞的這句話。
As the title suggests, a beloved cat fails to understand that what looks desirable may not be, and drowns while trying to catch fish.
正如標題所言，一隻受人寵愛的貓錯誤地認為它看到的魚是可以吃的，沒想到在捕魚過程中淹死了。
The poem』s final three lines are: "Not all that tempts your wand』ring eyes/And heedless hearts is lawful prize;/Nor all that glisters gold."
這首詩的最後三行寫道：
那使你們流盼的秀目和輕浮的心
感到的誘惑的，並非都是可獵取的目標
那熠熠生輝的並非都是金子在閃耀！（顧子欣譯）
Like the Moroccan prince, the cat』s tendency to be captivated by the attractive object — the fish — overtakes its ability to choose more wisely.
和那位摩洛哥王子一樣，這隻貓被眼前的魚迷惑了眼睛，未能做出明智的選擇。
Another famous use of this idiom occurs in Tolkien"s The Fellowship of the Ring.
另一個著名的引用出現在托爾金的《指環王》中。
When the hobbits arrive in Bree, they get a note from Gandalf containing a poetic quote that begins, "All that is gold doesnot glitter."
當霍比特人來到布里時，他們從甘道夫那裡得到一張紙條，上面寫著一段富有詩意的名言：「不是所有的金子都會閃耀」。
The poem was written by Bilbo and refers to Aragorn, who at first appears to be a dangerous and disreputable companion.
這首詩是比爾博寫的，指的是阿拉貢，一個危險而且聲名狼藉的夥計。
Tolkien, like Shakespeare, refers to the hidden value in things that can often be overlooked, and Aragorn』s journey through The Lord of the Rings certainly proves his value repeatedly.
和莎士比亞一樣，托爾金想要告訴讀者我們常常忽略了一些事物隱藏的寶貴价值，就像阿拉貢在《指環王》中所經歷的旅程，這無疑證明了阿拉貢的價值。
This theme is repeated when Frodo concludes of Aragorn: "I think a servant of the enemy would look fairer and feel fouler." The author seems to caution readers to see and judge by better measures than what is apparent to the eye.
弗洛多在結尾重申了這一主題：「我想魔君的僕役看起來會更體面、卻更令人厭惡。」作者似乎是在告誡讀者，以貌取人並不可取。
Sometimes phrases, like all that glitters is not gold, become so imbedded in a culture that they find expression in unusual places.
很多和「All that glitters is not gold」一樣的成語，早已深深地嵌入在文化中，在非同尋常的地方講述著深刻的道理。
The SpongeBob SquarePants episode, All that Glitters provides an interesting example.
在《海綿寶寶》動畫中，用這閃閃發光的東西就給觀眾提供了一個有趣的示例。
The title character』s spatula breaks and he replaces it with a new shiny one, a choice he begins to regret almost immediately.
海綿寶寶的刮刀壞了，他就用一個閃閃發亮的東西代替了壞掉的刮刀，但是在他做出這個決定的時候就已經後悔了。
Fortunately, a few days" stay in an infirmary heals SpongeBob"s original spatula, and he is very glad to get it back.
幸運的是，幾天之後，海綿寶寶在療養室里又找到了他最開始的那把刮刀。
Even in a cartoon world, things that are glittering and new aren』t always as good as possessions that are old and beloved.
由此可見，即使是在一個卡通世界裡，那些閃閃發光的東西並不總是和那些舊的、受人喜愛的東西一樣好。
編譯妹子有話說
英語俗語中有不少關於「外貌」、「皮毛」、「金玉其外」還有「金子」這方面的表達，前幾天我們編譯了英語里說「美麗是膚淺的」到底什麼意思？這篇文章，裡面「Beauty is only skin deep」與今天的「All That Glitters Is Not Gold」有著異曲同工之妙，歡迎閱讀~
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