英語習語起源26-聲多毛少

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雷聲大雨點小,英文叫做great/much cry and little wool(聲多毛少)。究意聲多毛少指的是什么呢?
    原來這成語源自一出戲劇《大衛(wèi)與亞比該》(David and Abigail)。戲劇說亞比該的丈夫拿八(Nabal)曾經(jīng)把羊按在地上剪毛,魔鬼看見了,也想學他那樣剪羊毛,但是,卻抓了些豬來按在地上剪,結(jié)果把豬弄得殺豬般叫起來,而魔鬼當然剪不到羊毛了。劇中原文是:Great cry and little wool, as the Devil said when he sheared the hogs(正如魔鬼給豬剪毛的時候說,羊毛沒有,叫聲卻響)?,F(xiàn)在,人們往往把這句話略作much/great cry and little wool,例如:Our politicians repeatedly pledge to root out corruption, but it is always much cry and little wool(我們的政客常常指天誓日說要根除貪污,可是始終雷聲大雨點小)。