中國有句俗話叫做富不過三代，英國的諺語也有一句表達的也是這個意思，那就是from clogs to clogs is only three generations。

Clog是英格蘭常見的下層勞動者的裝束，直譯就是：從穿clog(木底鞋)到clog不過三代人而已。二者可謂異曲同工。皆體現出創(chuàng)業(yè)于守成二者之間的道理，其中深意，或可為誡。

這句話也可以說成：From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.來看下面這段話：

The father buys, the son buildings, The grandchild sells and his son begs.父親買兒子建，孫子造作家產，重孫去要飯。

So goes an English saying. The curse of God rest on idleness and that’s why “from clog to clog is only three generations”. 這就是from clogs to clogs is only three generations這句英國諺語的來歷。上帝總是詛咒游手好閑的人，因此“富不過三代”。