20180125-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：I was pleasantly surprised.
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：I was pleasantly surprised.
2018/01/25 08:41:24
How important is the English language in Hong Kong’s politics? I often use my newspaper columns and TV shows to encourage the use of English. I do this not only because I think English is important in Hong Kong’s politics. I promote the use of English because Hong Kong cannot be a true international city if people speak only Cantonese and Mandarin. Many Asian societies understand the importance of English. It is the language that links countries together in a globalized world. That’s why places such as Singapore, Tokyo, and even Shanghai encourage their citizens to learn English. As a former British colony, Hong Kong has an advantage over places such as Shanghai and Tokyo but the truth is English standards in those cities are rising while the standard of English here is dropping.
Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the new president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Professor Shyy Wei, answer most questions at a media conference in English. Many reporters had asked questions in Cantonese and Putonghua but he replied in English. If you are pleasantly surprised, in means you are surprised in a happy and positive way. I don’t know if Shyy Wei, a Taiwan-born American, is competent in Cantonese but I am sure he is competent in Mandarin. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when he chose to answer questions in English. The word “competent” used this way means having the skill to do something well.
Last week, a media organization mocked (ridiculed, laughed at) Legislative Council candidate Judy Chan Ka-pui’s English. It mocked her for speaking lousy English and praised the English of candidate Agnes Chow Ting, who will be competing against Chan Ka-pui in March’s Legco elections. Chow Ting has been on my TV show several times. She speaks very good English although she sometimes makes grammatical mistakes. I have never met Chan Ka-pui but I must commend (praise, admire) her for having the guts to answer media questions in English. Many government officials don’t dare speak in English. What is important is not how well you do something but whether you have the guts to do it.
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在香港的政治環境中，英文到底有多重要？我經常透過報章專欄和電視節目去鼓勵大家多說多用英語。我這樣做，不但因為我認為英語在香港的政治中是重要的；我推廣英語的使用是因為，人們若只能說廣東話和普通話，香港便不能成為真正的國際城市。許多亞洲社會都明白到英語的重要性，它是在全球化的世界中，將國家聯繫起來的語言。亦因此，諸如新加坡、東京甚至上海等地，都鼓勵公民去學習英語。香港作為前英國殖民地，本身比上海和東京等地都有優勢，然而事實是，這些城市的英語水平正在提升，而這兒的英語水平卻在下降中。
上星期，我很驚喜（pleasantly surprised）見到香港科技大學的新任校長史維教授在記者招待會上，以英語回答大部份的問題。許多記者都用廣東話和普通話提問，他則用英語回答。若你是 pleasantly surprised，即是說你感到驚喜、喜出望外。我不知道在台灣出生的美籍教授史維是否能說（competent）廣東話，但我肯定他能說（competent）普通話。因此我很驚喜（pleasantly surprised）他選擇以英語回答問題。Competent在這裏的意思是掌握足夠的技巧去勝任某事。
上星期，一家傳媒機構嘲笑（mocked）立法會候選議員陳家佩的英語。它嘲笑（mocked）她說很糟的英語，稱讚另一候選人周庭的英語，後者將會在三月的立法會補選中與陳家佩競逐議員之位。周庭也上過我的電視節目好幾次。即使她有時會犯些文法錯誤，她確實能說很好的英語。我從未遇過陳家佩，但我得表揚（commend）她有膽量以英語回答傳媒的問題。許多政府官員甚至不敢說英語。重要的是，並非你做某事做得有多好，而是你是否夠膽去做。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2018/01/25 08:41:24
How important is the English language in Hong Kong’s politics? I often use my newspaper columns and TV shows to encourage the use of English. I do this not only because I think English is important in Hong Kong’s politics. I promote the use of English because Hong Kong cannot be a true international city if people speak only Cantonese and Mandarin. Many Asian societies understand the importance of English. It is the language that links countries together in a globalized world. That’s why places such as Singapore, Tokyo, and even Shanghai encourage their citizens to learn English. As a former British colony, Hong Kong has an advantage over places such as Shanghai and Tokyo but the truth is English standards in those cities are rising while the standard of English here is dropping.
Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the new president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Professor Shyy Wei, answer most questions at a media conference in English. Many reporters had asked questions in Cantonese and Putonghua but he replied in English. If you are pleasantly surprised, in means you are surprised in a happy and positive way. I don’t know if Shyy Wei, a Taiwan-born American, is competent in Cantonese but I am sure he is competent in Mandarin. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when he chose to answer questions in English. The word “competent” used this way means having the skill to do something well.
Last week, a media organization mocked (ridiculed, laughed at) Legislative Council candidate Judy Chan Ka-pui’s English. It mocked her for speaking lousy English and praised the English of candidate Agnes Chow Ting, who will be competing against Chan Ka-pui in March’s Legco elections. Chow Ting has been on my TV show several times. She speaks very good English although she sometimes makes grammatical mistakes. I have never met Chan Ka-pui but I must commend (praise, admire) her for having the guts to answer media questions in English. Many government officials don’t dare speak in English. What is important is not how well you do something but whether you have the guts to do it.
＊＊＊
在香港的政治環境中，英文到底有多重要？我經常透過報章專欄和電視節目去鼓勵大家多說多用英語。我這樣做，不但因為我認為英語在香港的政治中是重要的；我推廣英語的使用是因為，人們若只能說廣東話和普通話，香港便不能成為真正的國際城市。許多亞洲社會都明白到英語的重要性，它是在全球化的世界中，將國家聯繫起來的語言。亦因此，諸如新加坡、東京甚至上海等地，都鼓勵公民去學習英語。香港作為前英國殖民地，本身比上海和東京等地都有優勢，然而事實是，這些城市的英語水平正在提升，而這兒的英語水平卻在下降中。
上星期，我很驚喜（pleasantly surprised）見到香港科技大學的新任校長史維教授在記者招待會上，以英語回答大部份的問題。許多記者都用廣東話和普通話提問，他則用英語回答。若你是 pleasantly surprised，即是說你感到驚喜、喜出望外。我不知道在台灣出生的美籍教授史維是否能說（competent）廣東話，但我肯定他能說（competent）普通話。因此我很驚喜（pleasantly surprised）他選擇以英語回答問題。Competent在這裏的意思是掌握足夠的技巧去勝任某事。
上星期，一家傳媒機構嘲笑（mocked）立法會候選議員陳家佩的英語。它嘲笑（mocked）她說很糟的英語，稱讚另一候選人周庭的英語，後者將會在三月的立法會補選中與陳家佩競逐議員之位。周庭也上過我的電視節目好幾次。即使她有時會犯些文法錯誤，她確實能說很好的英語。我從未遇過陳家佩，但我得表揚（commend）她有膽量以英語回答傳媒的問題。許多政府官員甚至不敢說英語。重要的是，並非你做某事做得有多好，而是你是否夠膽去做。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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