20160426-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——a tranquil feel
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——a tranquil feel
21:26 26/4/2016
Hong Kong is a noisy concrete jungle. The expression "concrete jungle" means a modern city filled with large, tall, and ugly buildings. Most buildings in Hong Kong look like tall square boxes. Designing a building is like painting a picture. Good architects are creative. An architect is a person who designs buildings. To be creative (adjective) means to use your imagination and original ideas to create(verb) things. Hong Kong’s architects have very little leeway (freedom, independence) to be creative because most property developers care more about profits. That’s why most office and residential buildings here look like tall square boxes. Architects in places like Singapore, New York City, Shanghai, and Dubai have more leeway to be creative.
When I lived in the US, I was often impressed by the leeway given to architects to use their creativity (noun). I seldom see residential or office buildings in Hong Kong with building or lobby designs that stand out. Most look very similar. The expression “stand out” has several meanings but when used this way it means to be much better than other similar things. I was, therefore, surprised when I visited a residential building called The Pavilia Hill near Tin Hau Temple last week. Japanese culture and customs impress me a lot. The Pavilia Hill impressed me because the architect used the leeway given to him by K11 founder Adrian Cheng Chi-kwong, who loves art, to create a design with many Japanese features.
In my opinion, Japanese features such as Japanese gardens and bonsai plants have a tranquil feel. The word “tranquil” means peaceful, calm, or relaxing. I do not like to eat big meals. That’s why I enjoy Japanese food because every dish is small and dainty. The word “dainty” when used to describe food means small, tasty, and pretty-looking. The building I visited used a lot of space for a Japanese-style garden setting and even a Japanese-style tea room. I was served dainty Japanese snacks and Japanese tea in dainty (small and pretty) cups. I was surprised to find such a serene (calm, peaceful, tranquil, quiet) setting in a Hong Kong building.
* * *
香港是個很嘈吵的石屎森林（concrete jungle）。習語"concrete jungle"直譯就是石屎森林，意指一個現代城市，充斥醜陋的高樓大廈。香港大部份的樓宇都像高高的方形盒子。設計樓宇像畫畫一樣，好的建築師（architect）是富創意的（be creative）。Architect 就是建築師。To be creative（形容詞）意思就是運用想像力和原創的意念去創造（create，動詞）新事物。香港建築師（architects）沒幾多可以發揮創意（be creative）的餘地（leeway），因為大部份的發展商只會關心盈利。因此，這裏大部份的辦公室和住宅大樓都像高高的方盒。像在新加坡、紐約市、上海和杜拜這些地方的建築師，就有更多的自由空間（leeway）可以發揮創意（be creative）。
我住在美國時，對於建築師（architects）得以運用創意（creativity，名詞）的自由度（leeway），常常給我留下深刻印象。我鮮有在香港見到有哪些住宅或辦公室大樓的樓宇或大堂設計是突出的（stand out），大部份看上去都很相似。習語stand out 有幾種意思，在這裏的意思是比其他相似的平凡事物更顯眼，鶴立雞群。因此，當我上星期到訪天后廟附近一棟叫柏傲山的住宅時，我感到很意外，那兒的日本文化和習俗令我印象尤深。K11創辦人鄭志剛熱愛藝術，而柏傲山使我讚歎的是，建築師（architect）運用了鄭所提供的自由空間（leeway），去創作（create）出帶有日本特色的設計。
在我看來，日本特色例如日本庭園及盆景植物，盡都予人恬靜（tranquil）之感。 Tranquil 意即平和、恬靜和安舒。我不喜歡吃大餐。因此我享受日本食物，因為每盤食物都很細小、精緻美味（dainty）。Dainty用來形容食物的時候，意即小巧、美味又悅目。我參觀的這個大樓，用上很多的空間設置了一個日式庭園，甚至有一個日式茶室。我給奉上精緻（dainty）的日式小食，還有用小巧玲瓏（dainty）杯子裝着的日本茶。我很驚訝，在香港的大樓內還能找到一個如此寧謐安祥（serene）的地方。 mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
21:26 26/4/2016
Hong Kong is a noisy concrete jungle. The expression "concrete jungle" means a modern city filled with large, tall, and ugly buildings. Most buildings in Hong Kong look like tall square boxes. Designing a building is like painting a picture. Good architects are creative. An architect is a person who designs buildings. To be creative (adjective) means to use your imagination and original ideas to create(verb) things. Hong Kong’s architects have very little leeway (freedom, independence) to be creative because most property developers care more about profits. That’s why most office and residential buildings here look like tall square boxes. Architects in places like Singapore, New York City, Shanghai, and Dubai have more leeway to be creative.
When I lived in the US, I was often impressed by the leeway given to architects to use their creativity (noun). I seldom see residential or office buildings in Hong Kong with building or lobby designs that stand out. Most look very similar. The expression “stand out” has several meanings but when used this way it means to be much better than other similar things. I was, therefore, surprised when I visited a residential building called The Pavilia Hill near Tin Hau Temple last week. Japanese culture and customs impress me a lot. The Pavilia Hill impressed me because the architect used the leeway given to him by K11 founder Adrian Cheng Chi-kwong, who loves art, to create a design with many Japanese features.
In my opinion, Japanese features such as Japanese gardens and bonsai plants have a tranquil feel. The word “tranquil” means peaceful, calm, or relaxing. I do not like to eat big meals. That’s why I enjoy Japanese food because every dish is small and dainty. The word “dainty” when used to describe food means small, tasty, and pretty-looking. The building I visited used a lot of space for a Japanese-style garden setting and even a Japanese-style tea room. I was served dainty Japanese snacks and Japanese tea in dainty (small and pretty) cups. I was surprised to find such a serene (calm, peaceful, tranquil, quiet) setting in a Hong Kong building.
* * *
香港是個很嘈吵的石屎森林（concrete jungle）。習語"concrete jungle"直譯就是石屎森林，意指一個現代城市，充斥醜陋的高樓大廈。香港大部份的樓宇都像高高的方形盒子。設計樓宇像畫畫一樣，好的建築師（architect）是富創意的（be creative）。Architect 就是建築師。To be creative（形容詞）意思就是運用想像力和原創的意念去創造（create，動詞）新事物。香港建築師（architects）沒幾多可以發揮創意（be creative）的餘地（leeway），因為大部份的發展商只會關心盈利。因此，這裏大部份的辦公室和住宅大樓都像高高的方盒。像在新加坡、紐約市、上海和杜拜這些地方的建築師，就有更多的自由空間（leeway）可以發揮創意（be creative）。
我住在美國時，對於建築師（architects）得以運用創意（creativity，名詞）的自由度（leeway），常常給我留下深刻印象。我鮮有在香港見到有哪些住宅或辦公室大樓的樓宇或大堂設計是突出的（stand out），大部份看上去都很相似。習語stand out 有幾種意思，在這裏的意思是比其他相似的平凡事物更顯眼，鶴立雞群。因此，當我上星期到訪天后廟附近一棟叫柏傲山的住宅時，我感到很意外，那兒的日本文化和習俗令我印象尤深。K11創辦人鄭志剛熱愛藝術，而柏傲山使我讚歎的是，建築師（architect）運用了鄭所提供的自由空間（leeway），去創作（create）出帶有日本特色的設計。
在我看來，日本特色例如日本庭園及盆景植物，盡都予人恬靜（tranquil）之感。 Tranquil 意即平和、恬靜和安舒。我不喜歡吃大餐。因此我享受日本食物，因為每盤食物都很細小、精緻美味（dainty）。Dainty用來形容食物的時候，意即小巧、美味又悅目。我參觀的這個大樓，用上很多的空間設置了一個日式庭園，甚至有一個日式茶室。我給奉上精緻（dainty）的日式小食，還有用小巧玲瓏（dainty）杯子裝着的日本茶。我很驚訝，在香港的大樓內還能找到一個如此寧謐安祥（serene）的地方。 mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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