a living dog is better than a dead lion直译“死狮不如活狗”，引申为“好死不如赖活着”。

【例句】
For him who is joined to all the living there is hope; a living dog is better than a dead lion.
与一切活人相连的，那人还有指望。因为好死不如赖活着。

Even suffering with great pain of incurable disease, people usually are still afraid of death, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
即使忍受着不治之症的巨大痛苦，人们一般还是畏惧死亡，因为好死不如赖活着。