dog and pony show

陳姓讀者來電郵說，他遇到一則習語「a dog and pony show / act」，上網查了解釋，但始終未能以適當中文解之。他附上網上所作的說明：

Dog and pony show was a colloquial term used in the United States in thelate-19th and early-20th centuries to refer to small travelling circuses thattoured through small towns and rural areas. The name derives from thetypical use of performing dogs and ponies as the main attractions of theevents.

The term has come to mean an elaborately staged performance,presentation, or event designed to sway or convince people.

(1) 陳君所下載的說明， 相信摘自Wikipedia 英文網，自然沒有「以適當中文解之」。Wikipedia 是有名的網上百科，包羅萬有、搜檢快捷，但詞條多半由網民自行撰寫、增補、編輯，難以盡善盡美。

(2) 相比之下，一些由學者編纂的辭書就可靠得多。

(3) 這也是筆者授課時，一再要求學生多使用優質字典的原因，儘管有人認為筆者落伍。

(4) 關於dog and pony show / act 的中文，茲舉一例句解釋之：Bring them in here and do a dogand pony act.

把他們帶進來，讓他們開開眼界。（ New Dictionary of AmericanSlang）