20150224-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——I am in a quandary.
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——I am in a quandary.
2015-02-24
I am in a quandary. I have myself to blame for it. Last week I joked that I wanted to boycott the Democratic Party's 20th anniversary bash because Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had ordered all top government officials to boycott the bash. But I joked I could not boycott the bash because I had not been invited. The same day my article came out I received an urgent e-mail from Democratic Party chairperson Emily Lau Wai-hing asking me to call her. I thought she was going to castigate me for writing the article. I braced myself for a scolding when I called her but she did not castigate me. Instead, she laughed, thanked me for the article, and asked for my address so she could send me an invitation to her anniversary bash. I received the invitation the next day.
The word "bash", as I explained in my previous column, means "party" when used this way. You can say a "birthday bash" instead of a "birthday party". To castigate means to scold or criticize very severely. The expression "brace yourself" means to prepare yourself for something unpleasant, such as being fired from your job. To be in a quandary means to be in a very difficult situation and not knowing what to do. Similar words for "quandary" are "dilemma" and "predicament". I am in a quandary because I do not know whether I should boycott or attend the Democratic Party's anniversary bash now that I have been invited.
If I attend the bash, people will say I belong to the pro-democracy camp. If I boycott the bash, people will say I belong to the pro-establishment camp. I am in a quandary. I hope Leung Chun-ying will rescind (cancel) his order to all top officials to boycott the bash. Instead, he can order them to attend the bash carrying blue umbrellas. I can then attend the bash too with an umbrella that is half yellow and half blue. People can then say I have one foot in each camp, like a two-legged stool.
＊＊＊
我現在真的左右為難（quandary），但也只能怪自己。上星期我開玩笑，說想杯葛民主黨二十周年的派對（bash），因為特首梁振英下令所有最高級的政府官員要杯葛這場派對（bash）。但我笑言我不能杯葛派對（bash），因為我沒有獲邀。文章刊出的同一天，我收到民主黨主席劉慧卿一封緊急電郵，着我打電話給她。我以為她因為我寫了那篇文章，要斥責（castigate）我了。我致電她時，已準備好（braced myself）要捱一頓罵，她卻沒有斥責（castigate）我。反之，她笑了，多謝我寫了篇文章，並向我拿地址，好能寄給我邀請函出席周年派對（bash），翌日我便收到了邀請函。
正如我在上一篇文章中解釋過，bash在這裏的意思是派對。你可以以"birthday bash"代替"birthday party"。To castigate就是厲聲責罵或批評。習語brace yourself解作準備好自己去迎接一些不安的處境，例如被炒。To be in a quandary就是陷入窘境中，左右為難。跟quandary類近的字有dilemma和predicament。我在兩難之中（quandary），因為我不知道我現在獲邀到民主黨的周年派對（bash），應該杯葛還是出席好呢。
若我出席派對（bash），人們會說我是屬於泛民派的；若我杯葛派對（bash）呢，人們又會說我是屬於建制派的。我現在左右為難（quandary），希望梁振英撤回（rescind）要全體高級官員杯葛派對（bash）的命令吧。反之，他大可命令他們帶着藍傘出席派對（bash）。而我就會帶一把半黃半藍的傘出席派對（bash）。人們便又可以說我像兩腳櫈般，一腳踏兩船。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯：七刻
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-02-24
I am in a quandary. I have myself to blame for it. Last week I joked that I wanted to boycott the Democratic Party's 20th anniversary bash because Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had ordered all top government officials to boycott the bash. But I joked I could not boycott the bash because I had not been invited. The same day my article came out I received an urgent e-mail from Democratic Party chairperson Emily Lau Wai-hing asking me to call her. I thought she was going to castigate me for writing the article. I braced myself for a scolding when I called her but she did not castigate me. Instead, she laughed, thanked me for the article, and asked for my address so she could send me an invitation to her anniversary bash. I received the invitation the next day.
The word "bash", as I explained in my previous column, means "party" when used this way. You can say a "birthday bash" instead of a "birthday party". To castigate means to scold or criticize very severely. The expression "brace yourself" means to prepare yourself for something unpleasant, such as being fired from your job. To be in a quandary means to be in a very difficult situation and not knowing what to do. Similar words for "quandary" are "dilemma" and "predicament". I am in a quandary because I do not know whether I should boycott or attend the Democratic Party's anniversary bash now that I have been invited.
If I attend the bash, people will say I belong to the pro-democracy camp. If I boycott the bash, people will say I belong to the pro-establishment camp. I am in a quandary. I hope Leung Chun-ying will rescind (cancel) his order to all top officials to boycott the bash. Instead, he can order them to attend the bash carrying blue umbrellas. I can then attend the bash too with an umbrella that is half yellow and half blue. People can then say I have one foot in each camp, like a two-legged stool.
＊＊＊
我現在真的左右為難（quandary），但也只能怪自己。上星期我開玩笑，說想杯葛民主黨二十周年的派對（bash），因為特首梁振英下令所有最高級的政府官員要杯葛這場派對（bash）。但我笑言我不能杯葛派對（bash），因為我沒有獲邀。文章刊出的同一天，我收到民主黨主席劉慧卿一封緊急電郵，着我打電話給她。我以為她因為我寫了那篇文章，要斥責（castigate）我了。我致電她時，已準備好（braced myself）要捱一頓罵，她卻沒有斥責（castigate）我。反之，她笑了，多謝我寫了篇文章，並向我拿地址，好能寄給我邀請函出席周年派對（bash），翌日我便收到了邀請函。
正如我在上一篇文章中解釋過，bash在這裏的意思是派對。你可以以"birthday bash"代替"birthday party"。To castigate就是厲聲責罵或批評。習語brace yourself解作準備好自己去迎接一些不安的處境，例如被炒。To be in a quandary就是陷入窘境中，左右為難。跟quandary類近的字有dilemma和predicament。我在兩難之中（quandary），因為我不知道我現在獲邀到民主黨的周年派對（bash），應該杯葛還是出席好呢。
若我出席派對（bash），人們會說我是屬於泛民派的；若我杯葛派對（bash）呢，人們又會說我是屬於建制派的。我現在左右為難（quandary），希望梁振英撤回（rescind）要全體高級官員杯葛派對（bash）的命令吧。反之，他大可命令他們帶着藍傘出席派對（bash）。而我就會帶一把半黃半藍的傘出席派對（bash）。人們便又可以說我像兩腳櫈般，一腳踏兩船。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯：七刻
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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