20151027-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——full of pomp and pageantry
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：又中又英——full of pomp and pageantry
23:31 27/10/2015
Last week’s state visit to Britain by President Xi Jinping was full of pomp and pageantry. Xi Jinping rode with the Queen in a jewel-studded coach and was feted at Buckingham Palace. Leaders of China and Britain both said relations between the two countries had entered a golden age. A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state of one country to another country at the invitation of that country’s head of state. When an event is very colorful (colourful in British English), impressive, and large, you can say it is full of pomp and pageantry. Royal weddings are full of pomp and pageantry. When something is jewel-studded, it means it is decorated with a lot of jewels.
The word “coach” has several meanings but used this way it means a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses. The word “carriage” has a similar meaning. To be feted means to be entertained in a lavish (luxurious) way. The expression “golden age” means a period of great happiness, prosperity, peace and success. It originated from ancient Greek and Roman poets who wrote about periods in the past when everyone lived happily. There are not many examples of a golden age in recent history. The expression is rarely used nowadays. That’s why I was surprised when the British and Chinese leaders used it to describe closer ties between their countries.
But the expressions “golden years” and “golden anniversary” are often used. The term “golden years” refers to the period of a person’s life after retirement or the time of life when a person is old. A golden anniversary is the 50th anniversary of a wedding. The British government had put large Chinese flags along The Mall, a famous road in London, to welcome Xi Jinping. It made me think about young radicals in Hong Kong. They often wave the British colonial flag to insult China but the British were waving Chinese flags to celebrate a golden age with China. I wonder if the young radicals will still wave British colonial flags after Britain welcomed Xi Jinping with pomp and pageantry.
國家主席習近平上星期到英國的國事訪問（state visit），絕對是盛況空前（pomp and pageantry）。習近平在女英皇陪同下坐着鑲上寶石（jewel-studded）的馬車（coach），到白金漢宮接受款待（feted）。中英雙方的領袖均說，兩國關係進入了黃金時代（golden age）。A state visit 就是國事訪問，一國之首應另一國元首的邀請，到訪該國進行正式外交交流。當一個活動非常多姿多采、隆重而壯觀，你便可以說它是 full of pomp and pageantry。皇室婚禮就相當隆重而壯觀（pomp and pageantry）。若某物是 jewel-studded，即是說它鑲嵌了許多寶石作裝飾。
Coach 有幾個意思，這裏是指馬車，carriage一字也有相近意思。To be feted意思是接受盛大奢華（lavish）方式的款待。習語“golden age”意指黃金時代，就是歡欣、繁榮、太平、昌盛的美好時代。它源自希臘與羅馬詩人寫到往昔人人生活美滿的時期。近代歷史沒多少個黃金時代（golden age）的例子，故到今天，此習語已鮮有用上。因此當中英兩國的元首都用上這個習語，去形容兩國之間的連結更為緊密時，我深感訝異。
但習語“golden years” 和“golden anniversary”就很常用。Golden years是指某人退休後或年華垂暮之黃金歲月。A golden anniversary 就是結婚五十周年的金禧。英國政府於倫敦知名的林蔭路上，掛滿巨大的中國國旗以歡迎習近平。這令我想起了香港一些年輕的激進份子。他們不時揮動殖民時代的港英旗去羞辱中國，但英國人現在卻揮動中國國旗，去慶祝與中國同創的黃金時代（golden age）。我很好奇在英國以壯觀而隆重的盛典（pomp and pageantry）歡迎習近平後，年輕激進派還會否揮動港英旗呢？
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
23:31 27/10/2015
Last week’s state visit to Britain by President Xi Jinping was full of pomp and pageantry. Xi Jinping rode with the Queen in a jewel-studded coach and was feted at Buckingham Palace. Leaders of China and Britain both said relations between the two countries had entered a golden age. A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state of one country to another country at the invitation of that country’s head of state. When an event is very colorful (colourful in British English), impressive, and large, you can say it is full of pomp and pageantry. Royal weddings are full of pomp and pageantry. When something is jewel-studded, it means it is decorated with a lot of jewels.
The word “coach” has several meanings but used this way it means a four-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses. The word “carriage” has a similar meaning. To be feted means to be entertained in a lavish (luxurious) way. The expression “golden age” means a period of great happiness, prosperity, peace and success. It originated from ancient Greek and Roman poets who wrote about periods in the past when everyone lived happily. There are not many examples of a golden age in recent history. The expression is rarely used nowadays. That’s why I was surprised when the British and Chinese leaders used it to describe closer ties between their countries.
But the expressions “golden years” and “golden anniversary” are often used. The term “golden years” refers to the period of a person’s life after retirement or the time of life when a person is old. A golden anniversary is the 50th anniversary of a wedding. The British government had put large Chinese flags along The Mall, a famous road in London, to welcome Xi Jinping. It made me think about young radicals in Hong Kong. They often wave the British colonial flag to insult China but the British were waving Chinese flags to celebrate a golden age with China. I wonder if the young radicals will still wave British colonial flags after Britain welcomed Xi Jinping with pomp and pageantry.
國家主席習近平上星期到英國的國事訪問（state visit），絕對是盛況空前（pomp and pageantry）。習近平在女英皇陪同下坐着鑲上寶石（jewel-studded）的馬車（coach），到白金漢宮接受款待（feted）。中英雙方的領袖均說，兩國關係進入了黃金時代（golden age）。A state visit 就是國事訪問，一國之首應另一國元首的邀請，到訪該國進行正式外交交流。當一個活動非常多姿多采、隆重而壯觀，你便可以說它是 full of pomp and pageantry。皇室婚禮就相當隆重而壯觀（pomp and pageantry）。若某物是 jewel-studded，即是說它鑲嵌了許多寶石作裝飾。
Coach 有幾個意思，這裏是指馬車，carriage一字也有相近意思。To be feted意思是接受盛大奢華（lavish）方式的款待。習語“golden age”意指黃金時代，就是歡欣、繁榮、太平、昌盛的美好時代。它源自希臘與羅馬詩人寫到往昔人人生活美滿的時期。近代歷史沒多少個黃金時代（golden age）的例子，故到今天，此習語已鮮有用上。因此當中英兩國的元首都用上這個習語，去形容兩國之間的連結更為緊密時，我深感訝異。
但習語“golden years” 和“golden anniversary”就很常用。Golden years是指某人退休後或年華垂暮之黃金歲月。A golden anniversary 就是結婚五十周年的金禧。英國政府於倫敦知名的林蔭路上，掛滿巨大的中國國旗以歡迎習近平。這令我想起了香港一些年輕的激進份子。他們不時揮動殖民時代的港英旗去羞辱中國，但英國人現在卻揮動中國國旗，去慶祝與中國同創的黃金時代（golden age）。我很好奇在英國以壯觀而隆重的盛典（pomp and pageantry）歡迎習近平後，年輕激進派還會否揮動港英旗呢？
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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