Look before you leap.--三思而後行

這句諺語直譯是「跳躍之前先四處看看」，是勸告人 think carefully about the possible results or consequences before doing something（在做一件事之前仔細考慮可能的結果或後果），的確，一個人跳躍之前若不先瞧瞧四周，確定沒有問題，便有可能踩到「黃金」，或是跳入深淵。因此這句諺語通常用在勸人行動之前先深思熟慮，不要因為魯莽而做出會讓自己後悔的事。

A: I really messed up when I bought that property. I spent a fortune.

B: Really? Didn’t you immediately buy the unit once you caught wind that Chilin the supermodel is living next door?

A: Sigh. I thought at the time that by doing so I would be able to see Chilin every day, and that the price of that property would surge. Who would have thought…

B: …that Chilin leaves the house early and returns home late, and that you never get to see her?

A: Nope, that some fortuneteller would find that the building has bad feng shui, leading to a drop in its value!

B: Ha ha. You really should have looked before you leapt.

A: 我這次買房子真是搞砸了。我花了好多錢。

B: 咦，你那時不是一聽說名模志玲姊姊住在那裡，就趕快買在她隔壁間嗎？

A: 唉，我當初以為這樣就可以天天看志玲姊姊，房價也會因此飆漲，誰知…

B: 志玲姊姊每天早出晚歸看不到？

A: 不是，是有算命的說那棟樓風水不好，房價大跌了！

B: 哈哈。你早該三思而後行的。

單字

1.      property (n.) 房產

2.      fortune (n.) 鉅款

3.      unit (n.) 單位

4.      supermodel (n.) 名模

5.      surge (v.) 猛衝；激增

6.      fortuneteller (n.) 算命者

7.      feng shui 風水

8.      drop (n.) 下降

9.      value (n.) 價值

10.  leap (v.) 跳躍

片語

1.      mess up 弄糟

例I’m furious—the hairstylist just messed up my hair!（氣死我了—那個美髮師剛剛將我的頭髮搞糟了！）

2.      catch wind 得到消息；聽到風聲

例When shoppers catch wind of a sale they rush for it like rioters at a soccer match.（當瞎拼族聽到拍賣的風聲，他們有如足球比賽的暴民般蜂擁而去。）

3.      lead to 招致

例Her excessive drinking has led to her liver disease.（過量的飲酒導致她肝臟的疾病。）