Proverbs surround us every day. Whether at work, school, and church or during a conversation with a friend, the likelihood of hearing a proverb is high. With the influx of different cultures and traditions in the United States, it is not uncommon to come in contact with many examples of proverbs. [7] A proverb is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or experience. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim. Proverbs fall into the category of formulaic language. Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures. [6] But what is a proverb? Defining a ―proverb‖ is a difficult task. Proverb scholars often quote Archer Taylor‘s classic ―The definition of a proverb is too difficult to repay the undertaking... An incommunicable quality tells us this sentence is proverbial and that one is not. Hence no definition will enable us to identify positively a sentence as proverbial‖. Another common definition is from Lord John Russell―A proverb is the wit of one, and the wisdom of many.‖ More constructively, Mieder has proposed the following definition, ―A proverb is a short, generally known sentence of the folk which contains wisdom, truth, morals, and traditional views in a metaphorical, fixed, and memorials form and which is handed down from generation to generation.‖ Norrick created a table of distinctive features to distinguish proverbs from idioms, clichés, etc. Prahlad distinguishes proverbs from some other, closely related types of sayings, ―True proverbs must further be distinguished from other types of proverbial speech, e.g. proverbial phrases, Wellerisms, maxims, quotations, and proverbial comparisons.‖ Based on Persian proverbs, Zolfaghari and Ameri propose the following definition: "A proverb is a short sentence, which is well-known and at times rhythmic, including advice, sage themes and ethnic experiences, comprising simile, metaphor or irony which is well-known among people for its fluent wording,clarity of expression, simplicity, expansiveness and generality and is used either with or without change". [6] Proverbs are short statements of wisdom or advice that are transmitted from generation to generation and have passed into general use. [11] Proverbs often have an equivalent in the target language. However, even if a linguistic equivalent exists, there may be cultural differences to consider. For example, translation into English could vary based on whether the target is the Uk. It often helps to determine the origin of the proverb, especially if it isn‘t an entirely common saying. An obscure literary proverb should not be translated into a very familiar proverb in the target language. It is best to aim for equivalence between the proverb‘s standing within the context of the source culture and the target. Often, proverbs deal directly with societal customs that might not translate directly to certain other societies. In these cases, it might help to find a saying that approximates the intended message of the proverb and use that. Ultimately, the challenges of translating proverbs depend on the case at hand, and therefore, it is best for translators to adjust their method on a case by case basis. [8] Having studded the theory of translation by V.N. Comissarov, we divided proverbs into following categories: 1. English proverbs that are fully translated into the Gagauzian language, in which the English version fully corresponds to the Gagauzian; 2. English proverbs that are partially translated into the Gagauzian language, where the English version is somewhat different from the Gagauzian; 3. English proverbs that are totally different when translated into the Gagauzian language, the English version does not match the Gagauzian. With that said, here are a few examples of how specific proverbs could be translated: 1. “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” (E.P.) [10] – “Aalemin tauu kaz görünürmüș” (G.P.) [1, p.134] There are the proverbs that teach us it‘s not good to be jealous (to want what other people have). It may seem like everyone around you has ―greener grass,‖ meaning nicer cars, better jobs, etc. But your neighbor probably thinks you have greener grass too, which means that your friends and other people think that you have better looks, a happier family, etc. So instead of thinking about what everyone else has, this proverb wants you to be thankful for what you have. [10] 2. “Birds of a feather flock together / Like will to like / Men are known by the company they keep” (E.P.) [4, p.7] – “Garga garganın gözünü çıkarmaz” (G.P.) [3, p.397] The proverb is often used about people who are disapproved of. „Of a feather‖ means „ of the same kind or family‖, and „flock‖ means „to feel or travel in company‖. Human beings with similar tastes or interests tend to come together in group. People tend to seek the company of those whose tastes or interests are similar to their own. [4, p.7] 3. „Every Jack must have his Jill” (E.P.) [4, p.8] – „Tencerä tukurlanmış da kapaanı bulmuş” (G.P.) [1, p.131] Everyone gets a mate in the end. Jack and Jill here stands for man and woman, like „tencerä‖ is a woman and „kapaak‖ is a man in Gagauzian language. [4, p.8] 4. „None but the brave deserves the fair” (E.P.) [4, p.8] – „Korku dayı beklärmiş” (G.P.) [1, p.131] Are the proverbs which illustrate that success comes only to the people who are ready to work hard? This proverb means that one can attain success only when a person is bold enough to act and ready to give up every other enjoyment in life and sweat for his success. The goddess of success visits only those who dare to act and lay everything at her alter. [9] 5. „A friend in need is a friend indeed” (E.P.) [4, p.8] – „Akıl verän çok ama ekmek verän yok”(G.P.) [3, p.389] Your real friends are those who remain your friends when you are really in need of help. [4, p.8] 6. “Deeds, not words” (E.P.) [4, p.11] – “Alatlama dişlän, alatla işlän” (G.P.) [3, p.389] A person is known and judged mare by his actions that by what he says. [4, p.11] 7. „As you make your bed, so you must lie in it” (E.P.) [4, p.11] – „Nicä döşeycän ölä da yatacan” (G.P.) [1, p.131] Should you make your bed badly, you will probably have an uncomfortable night, for which you will have only youself to blame. [4, p.11] 8. „He cannot speak well that cannot hold his tongue / Speech is silver, silence is golden / Silence is colden” (E.P.) [4, p.16] – „Ģok laf – aarlık, ama susmak – varlık” (G.P.) [1, p.137] Silence is valuable at times when to speak would do more harm than good. 9. „If for a penny, in for a pound” (E.P.) [4, p.24] – „Horuya tutundun, oyna başdan / Verdin kendini kiraya - dayan” (G.P.) [1, p.131] Something you say that means that since you have started something or are involved in it, you should complete the work although it has become more difficult or complicated than you had expected. [5] 10. „Where there‟s muck there‟s brass / Muck and money go together”(E.P.) [4, p.26] – „Açan terlämersin – olmêêr / Açan su akêr baştan – başa – azaman olêr”(G.P.) [3, p.389] You can earn good money if you don‘t mind dirtying your hands. [4, p.26] Proverbs are the traditional (historic) sayings of a country. They are short, clever sentences that usually offer life advice. Native English speakers often use them in conversation without even realizing it. Proverbs can teach you more about a country‘s culture than any textbook. They show what‘s important to the group of people, what is considered good behavior and what bad behavior is. Proverbs can also tell you the history of a place. For example, proverbs from farming towns will use a lot of farming language, and fishing villages will talk about the sea. 10]