Gray Totoro 的部落格

【聯合報╱執筆／台科大應用外語系助理教授黃玟君】

這句諺語十分直接了當，相信很多人都會同意。不過這句諺語並不是討論pet behavior（寵物行為），而是用來形容那些講話大聲、喜歡語帶威脅的人。這些人通常就像會吠的狗一樣，叫得大聲，但是很少會真的付諸行動去咬人。

這句話也可以寫成Barking dogs don't bite，通常用在安慰人不用太在意另一個人的威脅與叫囂，因為這些人通常敢罵不敢做，讓他們吠一吠就算了！

在台灣，很多政客也是屬於這種barking dogs，平時在質詢或嗆別人時「聲頭」都很大，可是真要他們有點擔當、或是對自己說過的話負責時，偏偏又縮頭縮腦，撇得一乾二淨呢！

實用對話Conversation

A: I can't take anymore of Lucy. All she does is gripe in meetings. Who does she think she is? B: She even pointed straight at me and called me a retard last time. A: That's nothing. She accused me of being insane.

B: She even threatened the boss yesterday, saying that if she doesn't get a pay raise, she's walking. That's ridiculous!

A: But she only knows how to make threats and wouldn't really carry through with any of them. She would never leave her job.

B: That's true. Barking dogs seldom bite. Looks like we'll have no choice but to tolerate her for a long, long time.

A: 我真是受不了阿盧，她每次開會都罵東罵西的，她以為她是誰啊？

B: 她上次還指著我的鼻子罵我智障。

A: 這算什麼，她也說我神經病咧。

B: 她昨天還威脅老闆說，不加薪她就走人，真是誇張！

A: 不過她這個人只會說，不敢做，她才不會真的辭職呢。

B: 沒錯，會叫的狗不會咬人，看來我們別無選擇，還要忍受她很久了。