dilluns, 27 d’agost del 2007

Were envy ringworm, what a lot of scabby people we’d see!

La monomaníaca de l’enveja o Hiena de Salpêtrière, de Théodore Géricault.

Val. «Si l’enveja fora tinya, quants tinyosos hi haurien!»


Este refrany significa que l’enveja és un mal que afecta molta gent, encara que a sovint no ho advertim. I és que, mentres que la tinya és una infecció que es detecta a primera vista —els afectats presenten caspa, escames, crostes o pústules en la zona capil·lar—, l’enveja és un sentiment i, com a tal, no és tan visible, especialment perquè qui l’experimenta el tracta d’amagar. L’enveja es detecta a través dels actes de les persones a mesura que les coneixem; si fora tan visible com la tinya, nos faríem creus de quants envejosos tenim prop de nosaltres.

Variants:
«Si l’enveja fora tinya, tothom portaria barret».
«Si l’enveja fora tinya, no voríem mai el sol».

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This proverb means that envy is a resentful emotion that affects lots of people around us, although we don’t often realize it. Ringworm is a condition detectable at first sight —sick people present dandruffs or pustules in the scalp—, whereas envy is a feeling and, as such, it’s not that visible, especially because the greedy person tries to hide it. We detect envy through people’s behavior as we get to know them. Were envy so visible as ringworm, we’d be surprised how many envious people are close to us.