Sabre-rattling is when someone — often a country or a leader — talks loudly about using force, shows weapons, or makes angry threats, but you do not find them very frightening, and you may not even believe the fight will start.

Sabre-rattling is when someonesabre-rattling指的是有人——often a country or a leader常常是一個國家或一個領導人——talks loudly about using force大聲談論要動用武力、shows weapons展示武器、or makes angry threats或是發出憤怒的威脅，but you do not find them very frightening但你並不覺得他們真的很嚇人，and you may not even believe the fight will start你甚至可能不相信真的會打起來。

The picture is an old army officer shaking his sabre, a curved sword, to look dangerous. News writers use the phrase a lot, usually with a slight smile: they think the show is bigger than the danger.

The picture is畫面是 an old army officer shaking his sabre一個老軍官揮舞著他的sabre——a curved sword一種彎刀——to look dangerous好讓自己看起來很危險。News writers use the phrase a lot新聞記者很常用這個詞，usually with a slight smile通常帶著一點會心一笑的味道：they think the show is bigger than the danger他們認為那個排場比真正的危險還大。

It is not a kind word. If you respect the warning, you say a show of force; if you think it is mostly noise, you say sabre-rattling.

It is not a kind word這不是個好聽的字。If you respect the warning如果你把那個警告當真，you say a show of force你會說那是a show of force展示武力；if you think it is mostly noise如果你覺得那大多只是雷聲大雨點小，you say sabre-rattling你就會說那是sabre-rattling。

British spelling keeps sabre; American papers often write saber-rattling. You will hear it about governments far more than about two people in a street.

British spelling keeps sabre英式拼法保留sabre；American papers often write saber-rattling美國報紙則常寫成saber-rattling。You will hear it about governments你會聽到這個詞用在政府身上 far more than about two people in a street遠多於用在街上兩個人吵架的情況。