20150630-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——Have Hong Kong’s politics gone haywire?
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧︰又中又英——Have Hong Kong’s politics gone haywire?
2015-06-30
It has been a turbulent two weeks in Hong Kong's politics. So many mind-boggling things happened in quick succession that many people began to wonder if something has gone seriously wrong with Hong Kong's politics. First, there was the messing up by pro-establishment legislative councillors of the vote on the central government's political reform framework for Hong Kong. Many people were aghast (shocked, stunned) that the pro-establishment legislators messed up such an important vote by walking out in a failed attempt to delay the vote. Just days later, Hong Kong was rocked with another turbulent event when Civic Party member Ronny Tong Ka-wah announced his resignation from the party and the Legislative Council. A few days later, Hong Kong was again rocked by media reports that Legco President Tsang Yok-sing had used WhatsApp messages to advise pro-establishment legislators on voting strategy. The Legco president is supposed to be neutral.
To be neutral is to be impartial, or not supporting any side. The word "turbulent" used this way means disorderly or confusing. The slang word "mind-boggling" is used when something is very difficult to understand or very surprising. When things happen in quick succession, it means they happen very quickly one after another. To mess up something means to mishandle or mismanage something. The expression is similar to the words "bungle" and "botch" which I used in my previous two columns. The word "rock" used this way means to cause great shock. Hong Kong people were greatly shocked or rocked by three turbulent political events in quick succession.
Have Hong Kong's politics gone haywire? The word "haywire" means out of control. I think many Hong Kong people want to take a breather from politics and focus on livelihood issues instead. The slang expression "take a breather" means to take a rest or to stop for a while. It is the same as the expression "take a break". Do you want to take a breather from politics? I think now is a good time to take a breather from politics because Legco will soon take a break for the summer.
***
過去兩星期，香港政治經歷了一場大騷動（turbulent）。許多令人難以想像的（mind-boggling）事情接二連三地（in quick succession）發生，許多人開始疑惑，香港的政治是否真的出了甚麼問題。先有建制派立法會議員搞砸了（messing up）中央為香港定下的政改框架表決。對於建制派議員為了嘗試拖延表決而走出了會議廳，結果卻把這麼重要的表決弄得一團糟（messed up），許多人簡直嚇呆（aghast）了。幾天後，香港又被另一宗動盪的（turbulent）事件所震撼（rocked），就是公民黨成員湯家驊宣佈退黨及辭任立法會議員。才又不過幾天，香港再被一篇傳媒報道所震動（rocked），就是立法會主席曾鈺成以WhatsApp通訊，為建制派議員的投票策略出謀獻策。
立法會主席本應是中立的（neutral）。To be neutral就是要中立、不偏不倚的。Turbulent在這裏解作動盪或令人困惑的。俚語mind-boggling用於形容事情令人驚訝、難以理解的。當事情in quick succession的發生，就是說事情接二連三地緊接着發生。To mess up something就是搞砸或弄糟了一些事情，這個習語類近我在上兩篇專欄中所用到的bungle和botch。Rock在這裏用是指引來極大的震撼。香港人都被這一連串（in quick succession）三宗動盪的（turbulent）政治事件大大震撼（rocked）。
香港的政治是否已經亂作一團（haywire）了？Haywire就是出了毛病、失控了。我認為香港人很想在政治上喘一口氣（take a breather），轉而專注於民生議題。俚語take a breather 解作停一停、歇息一會，跟習語“take a break”意思一樣。你可有想離開政治議題，好好喘一口氣（take a breather）？我認為現在是喘喘氣（take a breather）的良好時機，因為立法會快將有暑期休會。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2015-06-30
It has been a turbulent two weeks in Hong Kong's politics. So many mind-boggling things happened in quick succession that many people began to wonder if something has gone seriously wrong with Hong Kong's politics. First, there was the messing up by pro-establishment legislative councillors of the vote on the central government's political reform framework for Hong Kong. Many people were aghast (shocked, stunned) that the pro-establishment legislators messed up such an important vote by walking out in a failed attempt to delay the vote. Just days later, Hong Kong was rocked with another turbulent event when Civic Party member Ronny Tong Ka-wah announced his resignation from the party and the Legislative Council. A few days later, Hong Kong was again rocked by media reports that Legco President Tsang Yok-sing had used WhatsApp messages to advise pro-establishment legislators on voting strategy. The Legco president is supposed to be neutral.
To be neutral is to be impartial, or not supporting any side. The word "turbulent" used this way means disorderly or confusing. The slang word "mind-boggling" is used when something is very difficult to understand or very surprising. When things happen in quick succession, it means they happen very quickly one after another. To mess up something means to mishandle or mismanage something. The expression is similar to the words "bungle" and "botch" which I used in my previous two columns. The word "rock" used this way means to cause great shock. Hong Kong people were greatly shocked or rocked by three turbulent political events in quick succession.
Have Hong Kong's politics gone haywire? The word "haywire" means out of control. I think many Hong Kong people want to take a breather from politics and focus on livelihood issues instead. The slang expression "take a breather" means to take a rest or to stop for a while. It is the same as the expression "take a break". Do you want to take a breather from politics? I think now is a good time to take a breather from politics because Legco will soon take a break for the summer.
***
過去兩星期，香港政治經歷了一場大騷動（turbulent）。許多令人難以想像的（mind-boggling）事情接二連三地（in quick succession）發生，許多人開始疑惑，香港的政治是否真的出了甚麼問題。先有建制派立法會議員搞砸了（messing up）中央為香港定下的政改框架表決。對於建制派議員為了嘗試拖延表決而走出了會議廳，結果卻把這麼重要的表決弄得一團糟（messed up），許多人簡直嚇呆（aghast）了。幾天後，香港又被另一宗動盪的（turbulent）事件所震撼（rocked），就是公民黨成員湯家驊宣佈退黨及辭任立法會議員。才又不過幾天，香港再被一篇傳媒報道所震動（rocked），就是立法會主席曾鈺成以WhatsApp通訊，為建制派議員的投票策略出謀獻策。
立法會主席本應是中立的（neutral）。To be neutral就是要中立、不偏不倚的。Turbulent在這裏解作動盪或令人困惑的。俚語mind-boggling用於形容事情令人驚訝、難以理解的。當事情in quick succession的發生，就是說事情接二連三地緊接着發生。To mess up something就是搞砸或弄糟了一些事情，這個習語類近我在上兩篇專欄中所用到的bungle和botch。Rock在這裏用是指引來極大的震撼。香港人都被這一連串（in quick succession）三宗動盪的（turbulent）政治事件大大震撼（rocked）。
香港的政治是否已經亂作一團（haywire）了？Haywire就是出了毛病、失控了。我認為香港人很想在政治上喘一口氣（take a breather），轉而專注於民生議題。俚語take a breather 解作停一停、歇息一會，跟習語“take a break”意思一樣。你可有想離開政治議題，好好喘一口氣（take a breather）？我認為現在是喘喘氣（take a breather）的良好時機，因為立法會快將有暑期休會。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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