只因少了一颗钉

只因少了一颗钉(英語:For Want of a Nail)是一首韵文,说明小的行动可能会导致大后果。最早可能源於13世紀日耳曼地區詩人佛萊登英语Freidank的作品。

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
少了釘子,失了蹄鐵。
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
少了蹄鐵,失了戰馬。
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
少了戰馬,失了騎士。
For want of a rider the message was lost.
少了騎士,失了情報。
For want of a message the battle was lost.
少了情報,失了勝仗。
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
少了勝仗,失了王國。
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
這全因少了個馬蹄釘。

分析

此一歐洲中世紀的寓言詩是用來提醒「微小的失誤可能帶來巨大的後患」。最早的版本比較簡單,只說到「少了騎士,失了城堡」,後世則衍生許多版本。

历史典故

另见

参考来源

參考文獻

  • Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richards Almanack, June 1758, The Complete Poor Richard Almanacks, facsimile ed., vol. 2, pp. 375, 377
  • G. Herbert, Outlandish Proverbs, c. 1640, no. 499
  • Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, ed. Iona and Peter Opie, Oxford 1951, pg 324

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