英語說－－光打雷不下雨

英語說－－ 光打雷不下雨／說一套做一套

一個人如果隻是誇誇其談虛張聲勢卻不見任何行動，我們便用'光打雷不下雨’來形容。

那麽美國人有沒有類似的表達呢？

2008年2月21日星期四晚，CNN播放奧巴馬和希拉裏在德克薩斯州位於澳斯汀的德州大學進行了90分鍾的辯論(The two rivals sat next to one another in swivel chairs in a University of Texas auditorium for the 90-minute debate)

CNN 圖

辯論中這黑白陣營你來我往，唇槍舌劍，相互指責貶損，抨擊當朝總統，抬高自己，為美國的另四年獻計獻策，標榜自己完全有能力改變美國現狀，把美國勞苦大眾從水深火熱中解救出來。

45 分鍾後，CNN主持人political correspondent John King發問：

......

And, Senator Clinton, I want to talk specifically about some words you've spoken here in the state of Texas over the past couple of days.

You've said, quote, "My opponent gives speeches; I offer solutions."

You said the choice for Democrats in this campaign is, quote, "talk versus action."

Now, in a campaign that some of us are old enough to remember, maybe not many of the students here, this would be called the "Where's the beef?" question.

But, since we're in Texas, I'd like to borrow a phrase that they often use here and you've used yourself in the context of President Bush. Are you saying that your opponent is all hat and no cattle, and can you say that after the last 45 minutes?

CLINTON: Well, I have said that about President Bush, and I think our next president needs to be a lot less hat and a lot more cattle.

......

So, yes, I do think that words are important and words matter, but actions speak louder than words.
 
在美國，all hat and no cattle 的意思是：

Someone talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
這就是我們說的：光打雷不下雨。

例如：

1、When someone talks big, but cannot back it up, they are all hat, no cattle.
高談闊論，脫離實際，無法實現，這些人是幹打雷不下雨。

2、We expect a leader to be effective in his job, not just a public relations artist who is "all hat and no cattle."（Wiki）
我們要的是工作中有成效的領導，而不是光打雷不下雨的公關師。

3、But when it's time to put his money where his mouth is, the president is, as they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle.（ＵSA Today）
（總統高調稱讚美國小企業給美國的就業和生產貢獻巨大）但是真到了聯邦經費如他說的分 配時，就如德州人所說的，說一套做一套了。

我們中文的光打雷不下雨很生動形象，而all hat and no cattle則讓人有點摸不著頭腦。請看google到的內容：

There’s an old Texas saying about a cowboy who was “all hat and no cattle.” That is, he was all show and no substance. This phrase applies to pretend cowboys that dress and talk the part, pretending to be what they aren't.

原來，這是來源於德州的一個諺語，一個人把自己全副武裝成牛仔，戴著那頂象征牛仔的帽子，特別搶眼，但卻沒有關鍵實質性的牛群，給人的印象無非就是擺架勢氣派做樣子，而實際上是虛的根本不是那麽回事。

現在 all hat and no cattle 指被形容的人不僅是隻說不做的誇誇奇談的家夥，還是撒謊家，騙子，誇海口而不切實際的人。 all hat and no cattle implies the person thus described is a liar, a fraudster, not just a boaster who won't do what he says. It's a guy(or gal) who makes grandious claims that have no basis in reality. For somebody who talks the talk without walking the walk,

布什的籍貫是德州，奧巴馬和希拉裏在德州辯論，後半場雙方便圍繞德州的名言：all hat and no cattle展開話題。說了半天，鬼才知道那些高招妙計能不能go realized，搞不好還是‘光打雷不下雨’，‘說歸說，做歸做’。
 
英語中類似的同義詞組Synonyms還有：

all bark and no bite, all bluff and bluster, all booster no payload, all crown no filling, all foam no beer, all hammer no nail, all icing no cake, all lime and salt no tequila, all mouth and no trousers, all mouth and trousers, all shot no powder, all sizzle and no steak, all talk and no action, all wax and no wick
(From Wiki)


中文說－－－－Where is the beef?


上文中John King說道：Now, in a campaign that some of us are old enough to remember, maybe not many of the students here, this would be called the "Where's the beef?" question.

什麽是 "Where's the beef?"

字麵意義是：牛肉在哪裏？這句話來自於1984年Wendy's 漢堡廣告。

Wendys' "Where's the Beef" Commercial



廣告一出現，Where's the beef？一夜竄紅，被人們廣為應用於指一個觀點或一次事件或某產品的最關鍵的實質性東東在哪裏？

“Where's the beef?” is a catch phrase best known in the United States and Canada. Since it was first used, it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event or product.

It came to public attention in a 1980s U.S. television commercial created by Joe Sedelmaier as part of Dancer Fitzgerald Sample's fast food advertising campaign for the Wendy's chain of hamburger restaurants. In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", elderly actress Clara Peller receives a competitor's burger with a massive bun (the competitor's slogan was "Home of the Big Bun"). The small patty prompts the gruff Peller to angrily exclaim, "Where's the beef?" The humorous ad and Peller's memorable character soon gave the catch phrase a life of its own, and it was repeated in television shows, films, magazines, and other media outlets.

First airing on January 10, 1984, "Fluffy Bun" featured three elderly ladies examining an exaggeratedly large hamburger bun topped with a minuscule hamburger patty: the other two ladies poked at it, exchanging bemused comments ("It certainly is a big bun." "It's a big fluffy bun.") before being interrupted by Peller's outraged, irascible demand. Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive on his yacht over the phone, and approaching drive-up windows at fast food restaurants that were slammed down before she could complete the line.
(From Wiki)

1984年的總統大選， 候選人Gary Hart 和 Walter Mondale之間辯論時，前副總統Mondale針對對手Hart的‘新政’，反問：“Where's the beef?”，從此加重了這個句子流行的分量。

The phrase was associated with the 1984 U.S. presidential election. During primaries in the spring of 1984, when the commercial was at its height of popularity, Democratic candidate and former Vice President Walter Mondale ridiculed the candidacy of his rival, Senator Gary Hart, by using the phrase during a March 11, 1984 televised debate prior to the New York and Pennsylvania primaries.

Hart had moved his candidacy from dark horse to the lead over Mondale based on his repeated use of the phrase "new ideas". When Hart once again used the slogan in the debate, Mondale leaned forward and said, "When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, 'Where's the beef?'" The line got a great response from the audience. Subsequently, the two campaigns continually clashed using the two dueling slogans (Hart presented his book, published later, to the press between two slices of bun).
（From Wiki）

朋友的女兒臨盆在既，醫生預計2月份第一周生，第二周還沒生，現在第三周了還沒生，采取了吃藥催產措施，還是沒生。朋友與女兒相隔3小時車程，一邊要工作賺錢，一邊擔心著寶貝女兒和小baby，生活秩序大亂。天天抱怨：Where's the beef? All hat and no cattle.

哈哈，這裏也可以用'Where's the beef?’ All hat and no cattle.。