Thread: Куда смотрит... общественность?

Есть ли в английском такое выражение, "куда смотрит / смотрят...", в смысле - почему общественность (например) ничего не предпринимает / почему бездействует / почему допускает то-то и то-то?...

Или, например, "Куда смотрят родители??" (~почему они не следят за тем, что происходит с их дочерью / сыном).

Спасибо.

P.S. Очень нужно ©

Думаю: "What are parents/authorities thinking?!!"

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Думаю: "What are parents/authorities thinking?!!"

I agree. "What are they thinking?!"

It is 8:25 PM, Do you know where your kids are?

It is 8:25 PM, Do you know where your kids are?

Or "Have you checked the children?"

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Думаю: "What are parents/authorities thinking?!!"

This doesn't really work.

You could say "Where are the (/their) parents?"

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Думаю: "What are parents/authorities thinking?!!"

This doesn't really work.

You could say "Where are the (/their) parents?"

I think they both work, but in different situations. Obviously, "what are [their parents] thinking" is not a set expression for all circumstances.

If I see children acting unruly, and their parents are standing nearby doing nothing, I might say, "What are they thinking?" If the children's parents are nowhere to be seen, I would say, "Where are their parents?"

To be perfectly honest, though, in the first instance, I would more likely simply say, "Why aren't they doing anything?"

"What are they thinking?" is more applicable to sins of commission than omission. ИМХО

Other variants include:

"What's going through their parents' minds?"
"What are the parents doing?"
"Aren't the parents around?"
etc.
etc.

Blame these parents!