20180320-Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：avoid it like the plague
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧：avoid it like the plague
2018-03-20
Many of Hong Kong’s legislative councillors can speak English. Some speak it fluently while others have a rudimentary (basic) knowledge of English. But all of them refuse to speak English in the Legislative Council. Almost all senior government officials can speak English fluently. But they also refuse to use English when they go to Legco to explain government policies or to answer questions by members. English is one of two official languages in Hong Kong but government officials and members avoid it like the plague during Legco meetings. The word “plague” can be used in several ways but used this way it means a very serious bacterial disease that can kill many people. The expression “avoid it like the plague” means to be determined to keep away from something completely.
I have often suggested that Legco members should use English at least sometimes during meetings. I have also suggested the chief executive and financial secretary should use English for part of their yearly policy speeches and budget speeches. But my suggestions always fall on deaf ears. If your suggestion “falls on deaf ears” it means no one listens to it. I don’t know why but in recent weeks Legco member Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who is a fluent English speaker, chose to use English twice during two separate Legco meetings. He used English to question Hong Kong Disney’s managing director Samuel Lau Wing-kee, who went to Legco to explain the theme park’s loss of $345 million in the last financial year.
Lau Wing-kee doesn’t speak good Cantonese but other members used Cantonese to question him, making him rely on Legco’s simultaneous (at the same time) translation facility. Kwok Wing-hang had the courtesy to use English. He used English again when Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah went to Legco to answer questions even though she speaks excellent Cantonese. Legco member Abraham Shek Lai-him also uses English sometimes in Legco. He and Kwok Wing-hang are trailblazers. A trailblazer is a person who is the first to do something that other people do later. I hope other Legco members will follow.
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許多香港立法會議員都能說英語，有些說得流利，有些則只有基礎（rudimentary）的英語能力。然而，他們全都拒絕在立法會內用英語發言。差不多所有政府高官都能說流利英語，但他們去立法會解釋政府政策或回應議員提問時，都拒絕說英語。英語是香港兩個官方語言之一，但政府官員及議員在立法會會議中都像避瘟疫般避開它（avoid it like the plague）。“Plague”一字可以有幾種用法，在這裏則解作會死很多人的瘟疫。avoid it like the plague這說法，意即像避開瘟疫一樣，完完全全的避開某事。
我不時建議立法會議員，在會議上至少有些時候也用一用英語。我也曾建議特首和財政司司長發表《施政報告》和《財政預算案》時，部份也可使用英語發言。然而，我的建議總是無人理會（fall on deaf ears）。若你的建議fall on deaf ears，意即人人都是充耳不聞。我不知道為甚麼，能操流利英語的立法會議員郭榮鏗，最近幾星期選擇在兩個不同的立法會會議上兩度用英語發言。他用英語去質詢香港迪士尼的總裁劉永基，劉是往立法會解釋主題公園在上一個財政年度，為何會有三億四千五百萬的虧損。
劉永基的廣東話不太好，但其他議員仍用廣東話向他提問，令他要用立法會的同步（simultaneous）翻譯服務去回應。郭榮鏗就有禮地用了英語。律政司司長鄭若驊到立法會回應提問期間，即使她能說流利的廣東話，他仍用英語向她發問。立法會議員石禮謙在立法會有時也會用到英語。他和郭榮鏗都是先行者（trailblazers）。A trailblazer就是拓荒者、先驅，讓其他人可以追隨。我希望其他立法會議員會跟隨仿效。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
2018-03-20
Many of Hong Kong’s legislative councillors can speak English. Some speak it fluently while others have a rudimentary (basic) knowledge of English. But all of them refuse to speak English in the Legislative Council. Almost all senior government officials can speak English fluently. But they also refuse to use English when they go to Legco to explain government policies or to answer questions by members. English is one of two official languages in Hong Kong but government officials and members avoid it like the plague during Legco meetings. The word “plague” can be used in several ways but used this way it means a very serious bacterial disease that can kill many people. The expression “avoid it like the plague” means to be determined to keep away from something completely.
I have often suggested that Legco members should use English at least sometimes during meetings. I have also suggested the chief executive and financial secretary should use English for part of their yearly policy speeches and budget speeches. But my suggestions always fall on deaf ears. If your suggestion “falls on deaf ears” it means no one listens to it. I don’t know why but in recent weeks Legco member Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, who is a fluent English speaker, chose to use English twice during two separate Legco meetings. He used English to question Hong Kong Disney’s managing director Samuel Lau Wing-kee, who went to Legco to explain the theme park’s loss of $345 million in the last financial year.
Lau Wing-kee doesn’t speak good Cantonese but other members used Cantonese to question him, making him rely on Legco’s simultaneous (at the same time) translation facility. Kwok Wing-hang had the courtesy to use English. He used English again when Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah went to Legco to answer questions even though she speaks excellent Cantonese. Legco member Abraham Shek Lai-him also uses English sometimes in Legco. He and Kwok Wing-hang are trailblazers. A trailblazer is a person who is the first to do something that other people do later. I hope other Legco members will follow.
＊＊＊
許多香港立法會議員都能說英語，有些說得流利，有些則只有基礎（rudimentary）的英語能力。然而，他們全都拒絕在立法會內用英語發言。差不多所有政府高官都能說流利英語，但他們去立法會解釋政府政策或回應議員提問時，都拒絕說英語。英語是香港兩個官方語言之一，但政府官員及議員在立法會會議中都像避瘟疫般避開它（avoid it like the plague）。“Plague”一字可以有幾種用法，在這裏則解作會死很多人的瘟疫。avoid it like the plague這說法，意即像避開瘟疫一樣，完完全全的避開某事。
我不時建議立法會議員，在會議上至少有些時候也用一用英語。我也曾建議特首和財政司司長發表《施政報告》和《財政預算案》時，部份也可使用英語發言。然而，我的建議總是無人理會（fall on deaf ears）。若你的建議fall on deaf ears，意即人人都是充耳不聞。我不知道為甚麼，能操流利英語的立法會議員郭榮鏗，最近幾星期選擇在兩個不同的立法會會議上兩度用英語發言。他用英語去質詢香港迪士尼的總裁劉永基，劉是往立法會解釋主題公園在上一個財政年度，為何會有三億四千五百萬的虧損。
劉永基的廣東話不太好，但其他議員仍用廣東話向他提問，令他要用立法會的同步（simultaneous）翻譯服務去回應。郭榮鏗就有禮地用了英語。律政司司長鄭若驊到立法會回應提問期間，即使她能說流利的廣東話，他仍用英語向她發問。立法會議員石禮謙在立法會有時也會用到英語。他和郭榮鏗都是先行者（trailblazers）。A trailblazer就是拓荒者、先驅，讓其他人可以追隨。我希望其他立法會議員會跟隨仿效。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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