20150528-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——standing still
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——standing still
2015-05-28
In my previous column, I explained a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the American president from 1933 to 1945. This was the quote I wrote about: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." I said in my column that the quote reminded me of the big gap between the rich and the poor in Hong Kong. In fact, many of Roosevelt's quotes remind me of the current political situation in Hong Kong. For example, Roosevelt said: "There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."
This quote has a simple meaning. Roosevelt was saying if a society wants to progress (advance, improve itself), there are many different ways to do it. But if a society chooses not to progress, there's just one way to do it - by standing still, or not moving. What does this quote make you think of？ It makes me think of the central government's political reform framework, which has deeply divided our society. Those who support the framework say it is one way of moving forward in achieving democracy and there will be other steps in the future. The only way not to go forward with democracy is to stand still, which, in Hong Kong's case, means voting down the framework.
Roosevelt also said: "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." This means a society cannot always build or guarantee a good future for young people but a society can train or prepare young people for whatever the future holds. This makes me think of the young people who joined the Occupy Central protests. Hong Kong's young people are angry because they feel our society is unequal and they believe true democracy can build a good future for them. But what can better guarantee a good future for young people - democracy or a good education and hard work？
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在上一篇專欄中，我解釋了富蘭克林．羅斯福的一句名言，他是一九三三至一九四五年的美國總統。這就是我提及的一句：「我們是否進步的衡量標準，不是我們可有增添給那些富足的人，而是我們有否為缺乏的人，提供足夠的需用。」（"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little."）我在專欄中說，這句名言令我聯想到香港嚴峻的貧富懸殊。
事實上，羅斯福的許多名言，也令我想到香港現時的政治環境。譬如，羅斯福說："There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."這句話的意思很簡單。羅斯福是說，若一個社會想進步（progress），可以有許多方法達致；但若一個社會決定不去進步（progress），那只有一個方法：站着不動。這句說話令你想起甚麼？它令我想到中央的政改框架，深深地分化着我們的社會。那些支持框架的人，說它是實現民主的前進方法，在未來將可有更多步伐向前；不與民主共進的唯一方法，就是站着不動，而以香港的情況來說，就是否決框架。
羅斯福也說："We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." 意思是，社會不能總是為年輕人建立或保證一個美好的將來，但一個社會可以訓練或裝備年輕人，迎接將來的任何處境。這令我想到參與佔領中環示威的年輕人。香港的年輕人很憤怒，因為他們認為，我們的社會不平等，他們相信真正的民主可以為他們建設更美好的將來。但到底是甚麼才更能為年輕人保證一個美好的將來：民主抑或良好的教育與勤奮工作？
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-05-28
In my previous column, I explained a quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the American president from 1933 to 1945. This was the quote I wrote about: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little." I said in my column that the quote reminded me of the big gap between the rich and the poor in Hong Kong. In fact, many of Roosevelt's quotes remind me of the current political situation in Hong Kong. For example, Roosevelt said: "There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."
This quote has a simple meaning. Roosevelt was saying if a society wants to progress (advance, improve itself), there are many different ways to do it. But if a society chooses not to progress, there's just one way to do it - by standing still, or not moving. What does this quote make you think of？ It makes me think of the central government's political reform framework, which has deeply divided our society. Those who support the framework say it is one way of moving forward in achieving democracy and there will be other steps in the future. The only way not to go forward with democracy is to stand still, which, in Hong Kong's case, means voting down the framework.
Roosevelt also said: "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." This means a society cannot always build or guarantee a good future for young people but a society can train or prepare young people for whatever the future holds. This makes me think of the young people who joined the Occupy Central protests. Hong Kong's young people are angry because they feel our society is unequal and they believe true democracy can build a good future for them. But what can better guarantee a good future for young people - democracy or a good education and hard work？
＊＊＊
在上一篇專欄中，我解釋了富蘭克林．羅斯福的一句名言，他是一九三三至一九四五年的美國總統。這就是我提及的一句：「我們是否進步的衡量標準，不是我們可有增添給那些富足的人，而是我們有否為缺乏的人，提供足夠的需用。」（"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have little."）我在專欄中說，這句名言令我聯想到香港嚴峻的貧富懸殊。
事實上，羅斯福的許多名言，也令我想到香港現時的政治環境。譬如，羅斯福說："There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still."這句話的意思很簡單。羅斯福是說，若一個社會想進步（progress），可以有許多方法達致；但若一個社會決定不去進步（progress），那只有一個方法：站着不動。這句說話令你想起甚麼？它令我想到中央的政改框架，深深地分化着我們的社會。那些支持框架的人，說它是實現民主的前進方法，在未來將可有更多步伐向前；不與民主共進的唯一方法，就是站着不動，而以香港的情況來說，就是否決框架。
羅斯福也說："We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future." 意思是，社會不能總是為年輕人建立或保證一個美好的將來，但一個社會可以訓練或裝備年輕人，迎接將來的任何處境。這令我想到參與佔領中環示威的年輕人。香港的年輕人很憤怒，因為他們認為，我們的社會不平等，他們相信真正的民主可以為他們建設更美好的將來。但到底是甚麼才更能為年輕人保證一個美好的將來：民主抑或良好的教育與勤奮工作？
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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