英语习语谚语成语用法精粹 文学名著类2-37 much cry and little wool

【字面理解】声多雨少

【英文解析】great braggers, little doers; a lot of fuss with little effect; a lot of fuss about nothing

【中文解析】徒劳无功;空口说白话，雷声大雨点儿小

【典型例句】① Our politicians repeatedly pledge to root out corruption, but it is always much cry and little wool. 我们的政客再三指天誓日地说要根除贪污，可是始终 雷声大雨点小。

② His diary was much more cry than wool.他的日记里空 话远远多于实事。

【注释】源自中世纪神秘剧《大卫和阿比该》(David and Abigail)：阿比该的丈夫拿八(Nabal)曾经把羊按 在地上剪毛，魔鬼看见了，也想学他那样剪羊毛，但 是，却抓了些猪来按在地上剪，结果把猪弄得嚎叫起 来，而魔鬼当然也剪不到羊毛。剧中原文是：Great cry and little wool, as the Devil said when he sheared the hogs (正如魔鬼给猪剪毛的时候说的，羊毛没有，叫 声却响)。现在，人们往往把这句话略作much/great cry and little wool。