a leopard cannot change its spots
英語 編輯
詞源 編輯
源自耶利米書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.（古實人豈能改變皮膚呢？豹豈能改變斑點呢？若能，你們這習慣行惡的便能行善了。）
諺語 編輯
a leopard cannot change its spots
- 江山易改，本性難移。字面意思為「豹不能改變它的斑點」。
- 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, 出版於 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]，頁號 24，列號 2:
- King. […] Lyons make Leopards tame. / Mo[wbray]. Yea, but not change his ſpots:
- 理查王： […] 雄獅的神威可以使豹子懾伏。毛[勃雷]：是的，可是不能改變它身上的斑點。
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23，列號 1:
- Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots?
- 古實人豈能改變皮膚呢？豹豈能改變斑點呢？
- 1820, 沃尔特·司各特, 章號 II, 出自 艾凡赫, 卷 III, 愛丁堡: […] Archibald Constable and Co.；倫敦：Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC，頁號 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.
- 讓我們言歸於好。現在得給猶太人的贖金定個價錢了，因爲豹子身上不會沒有斑點，猶太人也永遠是猶太人。
近義詞 編輯
- 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