文／Dr.J.J.

只是動個嘴巴說說，誰都會。很多人常是講得天花亂墜，但卻不肯採取實際行動，永遠都只是停留在「紙上談兵」的階段。

光「說」是沒什麼價值的，換言之，「說」這個舉動是最廉價的（talk is cheap!） ，雖然這跟另一句俚語「說的比做的容易（easier said than done）有點類似，不過這句俚語更常用在工作場合中，藉以諷刺有些人「光出一張嘴」。

如果想把這句俚語說得更完整些，我們可以說 “talk is cheap, words are plentiful, deeds are precious! “整句話的意思就是「一張嘴誰都有，話誰都會說，只有行動才是最珍貴的！」

Rick：I’m glad we’ve had a long but productive day.

Rick：我很高興，今天是個漫長且很有進展的一天。

Linda：Yes, see all the ideas we’ve come up with. Some are fantastic and so creative!

Linda：對啊，你看我們想出了這麼多點子。有些真的是很棒又有創意呢！

Mark：This is really a great workshop getting different people from different departments to plan together for the following 3 years.

Mark：這次的研討會能夠把不同部門的人召集起來，一同構思未來3年的規劃真的是很棒。

Linda：While the marketing people are incredibly good with new ideas, the R&D colleagues are very practical and down-to-earth!

Linda：行銷部的同仁一如往常有一堆很棒的點子，不過研發部的同仁也非常實際，能夠腳踏實地的發想。

Mark：They know well with our current facilities, what can and can’t be achieved. They can also tell us clearly how much extra time is needed for each project we’ve got planned so far.

Mark：他們很清楚以我們目前的設備，什麼是可以，什麼又是不可以做到的。除此之外，他們也能具體的告訴我們，每一個案子需要多少額外的時間才能做完。

Linda：I think with all the solutions we’ve got from the workshop, we can all rest well for a while.

Linda：我想有了在研討會中得到的解決方案，大家都可以好好休息一下了。

Rick：It’s a success but let me remind you all that “talk is cheap!” If we don’t put those thoughts into practice and take action, it’s all in vain.

Rick：的確是很成功，不過我也要提醒大家，別只出一張嘴！要是我們不把那些想法付諸行動，一切都是枉然。

Mark：Yes, sir! We’ll follow up on those immediately next Monday. Right now, can we at least have a relaxing weekend?

Mark：是，老大！我們下週一會馬上著手進行的。現在大家至少可以有個輕鬆的週末吧？

自由時報-971030

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