说下大天来?

[Lu]

There's another phrase I can't figure out in the book I'm currently translating.

Context: twenty years ago, a petitioning woman from district X made her way into the Great Hall of the People during the NPC. As a result, all the officials who she felt had wronged her were fired. But her problem was not resolved, so she went on to petition and every year tried to make her way into the Great Hall again. Without success, but the officials in district X are of course very anxious to try and prevent it. Every year again. Now, district X has a new district head and another NPC is coming up. Another official explains the problem to him and eventually convinces him it's pretty serious. They end their meeting with:

New district head laughs: 看把你逼到了这个份儿上，我就会她一面吧。

Official replies： 这就对了县长，反正说下大天来，也就是哄她一下。哄她过了这个月，等全国人代会开过了，她想到哪儿告，就到哪儿告。只要过了关键时刻，咱就不怕了。

My question: what does this 说下大天来 mean? Does it have anything to do with the 人大 being a 'big day', or am I thinking in the wrong direction? My language partner thought perhaps it means something like 没什么大不了, but she had never seen this phrase either. It might be 方言 (Henanese) but I can't figure it out. Any help is much appreciated.

[roddy]

I think you're right, it's the next 'big day'. Anyway, we'll just talk her round the next time...

[ZhangJiang]

It means something like "whatever you say" or "however good you say", or literally, "say down the big sky". It must be a 方言 because I haven't heard of it before but many examples can be found from an internet search.

[Kenny同志]

反正说下大天来，

 

 

Seems to be a dialectal expression. In my opinion, here it means no matter what we say/promise. 

 

意思就是不管我們說什麼，如何花言巧語，目的不過是哄她一下。

[roddy]

Now I think Kenny's right. 

[Kenny同志]

Now I think Kenny's right. 

 

I think you're right, too.  

[Lu]

I also think Kenny's likely right, and ZhangJiang says the same... Something with 'big day' would fit the context, but then I still don't get the grammar of how the other characters work. Thanks all for answering my question!

[ZhangJiang]

but then I still don't get the grammar of how the other characters work

Do you mean the grammar of 说下大天来, Lu?

If so, it can be rephrased as 说下来大天 or 把(大)天说下来. To say something so incredible/great that even the big sky falls, or promise something so good/big as the fallen sky. I think this is the meaning.

[Lu]

Actually I meant the grammar if 大天 referred to 'the big day'. So it's not a problem anymore. But thank you for your explanation, the expression makes more sense now!

[skylee]

I agree with #8.