又中又英｜Hooked on something

又中又英｜Hooked on something

Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and WeChat combined have many billions of users globally. Most of my friends have Facebook, Instagram, and other accounts. They often ask me why I don’t use social media even though I am a journalist. I tell them I am just not into it. If you’re not into something, it means you are not interested in it. Before I left Hong Kong, I had to do English and Cantonese TV shows and write columns for several newspapers. I had a lot on my plate and didn’t want to get hooked on platforms such as Facebook.

If you have a lot on your plate, it means you have too much to do. If you are hooked on something, it means you like it so much that you spend a lot of time on it or are unable to stop, like drug abusers who are unable to stop using drugs. I have friends who are so hooked on Facebook that they spend hours using it. I only use WhatsApp and Signal to keep in touch with family and friends. There’s now a new kid on the block in the social media world. Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram last week started Threads to compete with Twitter.

A new kid on the block is something or someone new to a situation, usually to compete with others. Only people who have Instagram can use Threads. Media reports say Threads is similar to Twitter. Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to fight inside a cage with Twitter owner Elon Musk. The match between Twitter and Threads is the first round!

社交媒體平台例如臉書、YouTube、推特和微信，加在一起於全球擁有數十億的用戶。我大部分的朋友都有臉書、Instagram和其他帳戶。他們常問我為甚麼我沒有用社交媒體，即使我是一名新聞工作者。我跟他們說，我就是 not into it——若你是 not into something，意即你並不熱衷某事物，對它沒有興趣。我離開香港前，我要做英文和廣東話的電視節目，為幾份報章寫專欄。我已經有許多事情要處理，忙不過來了（a lot on my plate），並不想再迷上（get hooked on）像臉書的平台。

若你有 a lot on your plate，意即你有許多事要做，分身不暇。若你是 hooked on something，意即你迷上某事而花許多時間去做，甚或不能自拔，像癮君子般無法停止吸食毒品。我有朋友對臉書上癮（hooked on），總要在上面花上好幾個小時。我只用WhatsApp和Signal跟我的家人和朋友保持聯絡。現在於社交媒體世界，又有一個初來乍到的新小子（a new kid on the block）啦。坐擁臉書、WhatsApp和Instagram的Meta，上星期新開了Threads，去跟推特較量。

A new kid on the block是指一個人或一樣事物初到新地方，通常是與他人競爭的。只有那些有用Instagram的人會用Threads。傳媒報道指，Threads跟推特很相似。臉書老闆馬克‧朱克伯格已經同意去跟推特老闆伊隆‧馬斯克到鐵籠中搏鬥。推特跟Threads的比拼就是第一回合！

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻