Mr.Yoshihiko Noda was inaugurated as the 95th Prime Minister of Japan on August 30th by winning the race among five candidates for Japan’s ruling party–the JDP’s leader election.
The phrase he likened himself to was dojo (loach), with which he wrapped up his manifestation address:
I’m like a dojo. It’s no use for a dojo to behave like (or imitate) a goldfish.
This became suddenly a hot word among Japanese electorates, and it was even quoted in many overseas news media such as Washington Post, New York Times and Financial Times.
By saying I’m a dojo. It’s no use for a dojo to behave like a goldfish he meant he is determined to pursue for steady, realistic and actionable goals and implement down-to-earth policies rather than chasing after gaudy, dreamy, but unachievable goals (as his predecessors have done in the past two decades and all failed). He borrowed this line from a popular poet called Mitsuo Aida known for the lines of his zen-like poetry.
I wonder if there are any (or many) metaphors and popular lines in the English speaking countries that can be equated with the line, It’s no use for a dojo to behave like a goldfish. I would like to show off my trove of imported phrases to my English enthusiastic buddies.
Best Answer
There's also
(which is along the lines of "It's no use trying to change who I am")
and, more derogatory,
("You can't make a high-quality item using shoddy materials")