又中又英｜To float an idea

Many people and governments around the world believe it is their duty to protect the environment now that climate change has wreaked havoc in numerous countries. To wreak havoc means to cause great damage. One small and easy step to help protect the environment is through recycling and reducing garbage. But Hong Kong is unable to even do that. The failure to do something simple to help save our planet has made Hong Kong a joke locally and in places such as Singapore and Taiwan, which charge for waste collection and require recycling.

The government first floated the idea of charging for garbage disposal many years ago. To float an idea means to suggest a plan to see if people are interested. The Legislative Council finally approved a scheme in 2021 requiring the public to pay for garbage disposal. After several delays, the government said the scheme would start on the first of last month. It then again delayed the start date to August 1. Government officials are now looking for an out to postpone the scheme indefinitely. To look for an out means to find a way to avoid a problem.

Media reports said the unenthusiastic response to a trial run on using special garbage disposal bags may give the government an out for delaying the scheme indefinitely. The government is not entirely to blame for making paid garbage disposal a joke. Some influential politicians said Hong Kong is not ready for it. One even criticized the plan as Mission Impossible. Protecting the environment is not impossible if we care about the health of our planet.

現在全球氣候變化肆虐（wreaked havoc）無數的國家，世界上許多人和各地政府都相信保護環境是自己的責任。To wreak havoc的意思是去造成嚴重的破壞。微小而簡單的一步就是回收和減少垃圾。然而，香港卻連這些也未能做到。做不到這麼簡單的事情去幫助拯救我們的地球，令到香港在本土和在新加坡和台灣等地變成笑話，後二者都已有垃圾棄置徵費，及要求社會進行回收。

政府在許多年前首次浮起就垃圾棄置徵費的想法（floated an idea）——to float an idea是指去提出、建議一個計劃，看看人們是否感興趣。立法會最終於二零二一年通過一個方案，要求公眾就棄置垃圾按量自付。經過幾次的延期，政府說計劃會於上個月的一號實施。但實施日期又再度延至八月一日。政府官員現在都 looking for an out去無限期推遲計劃實施日期——to look for an out的意思是想方法去迴避一個問題。

有傳媒報道指，公眾對於試行使用特定垃圾袋的冷淡反應，給了政府一個退路（an out）可以無限期延遲實施計劃。棄置垃圾收費變成一個笑話，並不完全是政府的錯。一些有影響力的政客說，香港還未準備好去推行，其中一個甚至批評計劃是不可能的任務。若我們真的關心我們這個地球的健康，保護環境並不是不可能的。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻