又中又英|Au revoir

2023-12-15 08:02

It will soon be time for me to say au revoir to Hong Kong. Au revoir is a French word that means goodbye. Some English speakers use it to say goodbye too for fun. This is my second visit to Hong Kong after leaving in 2021 to return to the US. It is always hard to say goodbye to my friends and Hong Kong relatives. They inevitably (unavoidably) ask me when I will visit again. I always tell them it is up in the air. If something is up in the air, it means it is uncertain. My next visit to Hong Kong is up in the air.
But I have a gut feeling I will be back for another visit. A gut feeling is an instinctive feeling or strong belief that is not based on fact or reasoning. I have noticed many changes during this visit. There are far fewer westerners and far more mainlanders on the streets. Government officials rarely use English on TV or radio news compared to before except for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. He sometimes takes English questions when he briefly sees the media before Executive Council meetings.
What surprised me is that many people still recognize me everywhere I go even though I stopped my TV shows nearly three years ago. Most just look at me, some nod to say hello, and a few talk and take pictures with me. It warms my heart when people still recognize me. To warm your heart means to make you have pleasant feelings of happiness. Thanks to all who have warmed my heart.

很快便是時候我要跟香港說 au revoir—— au revoir是法語,意思是再見。一些說英語的人士為了好玩,也會用來說再見。這是我自二零二一年回美國以來,第二次到香港。要跟朋友們和香港的親屬說再見,總是困難的。他們無可避免(inevitably)會問我幾時再回港。我總是告訴他們那是 up in the air。若某事物是 up in the air,意即那並不確定、懸而未決。我下一趟到香港的旅程還不確定(up in the air)呢。
但我有個 gut feeling,我會再回來短遊。A gut feeling就是直覺,或並非建基於事實或理據的強烈感覺。這一趟短遊,我留意到許多轉變。在街道上,少了許多西方人,多了許多內地人。在電視或電台新聞上,相較於以往,政府官員鮮少說英語,除了特首李家超。在立法會會議之前,他會短暫會見傳媒,有時他就會回答一些英語提問。
令我意外的是,雖然差不多三年前已經停止我的電視節目,但無論我走到哪裏人們仍然認得我。大多數人只是看一看我,有些會點頭問好,也有一些會跟我談話和合照。人們仍然認得我,真的令我暖透心(warms my heart)。To warm your heart意思是使你內心感到高興、溫馨。感謝所有令我心感溫暖(warmed my heart)的人。

[email protected]
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯:七刻

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