20150623-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——Clowns and jokers in the Legco
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——Clowns and jokers in the Legco
2015-06-23
I recently heard an old song on an internet radio station by the rock band Stealers Wheel. One line in the lyrics(words of a song) caught my attention: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.” I thought of that line last Thursday when the Legislative Council voted on the central government’s political reform framework. Everyone knew the framework would be voted down. Everyone had expected 28 votes against the framework and 41 votes for it, which lacked the two-thirds majority required to succeed. But pro-establishment Legco members made idiots of themselves with a bungled attempt to delay the vote by walking out during voting time.
They wanted a delay because pro-establishment Legco member Lau Wong-fat had not yet arrived to vote. But the voting bell had already sounded and only a few seconds remained for the actual vote to begin. Enough members remained in the room for the voting to start despite the sudden walk-out because some confused pro-establishment members didn’t know why there was a walk-out and didn’t join. Legco president Tsang Yok-sing said he could delay no more. As a result, 28 voted against the framework and only 8 voted for it. I have never seen such bungling of an important vote. That’s why it reminded me of the line: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right”.
A clown is a person who wears a funny costume and makes people laugh in a circus. But a clown also means an idiot or foolish person. The word joker used this way also means a foolish person or an idiot. To bungle something means to mishandle or mismanage something. Pro-establishment Legco members looked like idiots, or clowns, for mishandling such an important vote. I think many Hong Kong people see pro-establishment legislators as clowns for their bungling of the vote and see pro-democracy legislators as jokers for always filibustering in Legco and throwing things at government officials. Hong Kong people are stuck (trapped) in the middle with clowns to the left of them and jokers to the right.
＊ ＊ ＊
我最近從網台聽到搖滾樂隊Stealers Wheel的一首舊歌，其中一句歌詞（lyrics）引起我的注意：“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.”上星期四，當立法會就中央政府提出的政改框架表決時，我不由得想起這句歌詞來。人人都預計方案會有二十八票反對、四十一票支持，不足全體議員三分之二的多數通過。可是建制派立法會議員卻在表決時候走出會議廳，拙手笨腳的（bungled）企圖拖延表決，倒令自己大大出醜。
他們想拖延，因為建制派議員劉皇發還未趕及到場投票。然而，表決鐘聲已經響起，只餘幾秒鐘開始真正的表決。撇除突然出走的議員，會議廳內有足夠的法定人數進行表決，因為有些迷茫的建制派議員並不知道為何要走出去，沒有加入出走的行列。立法會主席曾鈺成說他不能再耽擱了。結果有二十八票反對方案，只得八票贊成。我從未聽過一個重要議案會有如此笨拙（bungling）的表決。我因而想起這句歌詞：“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right”.
Clown就是在馬戲團裏引人發笑的小丑，但也解作笨蛋或蠢人。Joker在這裏的意思也是傻瓜或蠢人。To bungle something就是處理不當，將事情弄得一團糟。建制派立法會議員在此一重要表決上處理不當，就如蠢材一樣。我認為許多香港人因為建制派議員在表決上拙手笨腳（bungling），將之視為小丑（clowns）；又因泛民議員常常在立法會中拉布和向政府官員擲東西，將之視為傻瓜（jokers）。香港人則陷在（stuck）中間，左邊是小丑（clowns），右邊是傻瓜（jokers）。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-06-23
I recently heard an old song on an internet radio station by the rock band Stealers Wheel. One line in the lyrics(words of a song) caught my attention: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.” I thought of that line last Thursday when the Legislative Council voted on the central government’s political reform framework. Everyone knew the framework would be voted down. Everyone had expected 28 votes against the framework and 41 votes for it, which lacked the two-thirds majority required to succeed. But pro-establishment Legco members made idiots of themselves with a bungled attempt to delay the vote by walking out during voting time.
They wanted a delay because pro-establishment Legco member Lau Wong-fat had not yet arrived to vote. But the voting bell had already sounded and only a few seconds remained for the actual vote to begin. Enough members remained in the room for the voting to start despite the sudden walk-out because some confused pro-establishment members didn’t know why there was a walk-out and didn’t join. Legco president Tsang Yok-sing said he could delay no more. As a result, 28 voted against the framework and only 8 voted for it. I have never seen such bungling of an important vote. That’s why it reminded me of the line: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right”.
A clown is a person who wears a funny costume and makes people laugh in a circus. But a clown also means an idiot or foolish person. The word joker used this way also means a foolish person or an idiot. To bungle something means to mishandle or mismanage something. Pro-establishment Legco members looked like idiots, or clowns, for mishandling such an important vote. I think many Hong Kong people see pro-establishment legislators as clowns for their bungling of the vote and see pro-democracy legislators as jokers for always filibustering in Legco and throwing things at government officials. Hong Kong people are stuck (trapped) in the middle with clowns to the left of them and jokers to the right.
＊ ＊ ＊
我最近從網台聽到搖滾樂隊Stealers Wheel的一首舊歌，其中一句歌詞（lyrics）引起我的注意：“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.”上星期四，當立法會就中央政府提出的政改框架表決時，我不由得想起這句歌詞來。人人都預計方案會有二十八票反對、四十一票支持，不足全體議員三分之二的多數通過。可是建制派立法會議員卻在表決時候走出會議廳，拙手笨腳的（bungled）企圖拖延表決，倒令自己大大出醜。
他們想拖延，因為建制派議員劉皇發還未趕及到場投票。然而，表決鐘聲已經響起，只餘幾秒鐘開始真正的表決。撇除突然出走的議員，會議廳內有足夠的法定人數進行表決，因為有些迷茫的建制派議員並不知道為何要走出去，沒有加入出走的行列。立法會主席曾鈺成說他不能再耽擱了。結果有二十八票反對方案，只得八票贊成。我從未聽過一個重要議案會有如此笨拙（bungling）的表決。我因而想起這句歌詞：“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right”.
Clown就是在馬戲團裏引人發笑的小丑，但也解作笨蛋或蠢人。Joker在這裏的意思也是傻瓜或蠢人。To bungle something就是處理不當，將事情弄得一團糟。建制派立法會議員在此一重要表決上處理不當，就如蠢材一樣。我認為許多香港人因為建制派議員在表決上拙手笨腳（bungling），將之視為小丑（clowns）；又因泛民議員常常在立法會中拉布和向政府官員擲東西，將之視為傻瓜（jokers）。香港人則陷在（stuck）中間，左邊是小丑（clowns），右邊是傻瓜（jokers）。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
留言
張貼留言