又中又英｜To lock horns

Reports of a Hong Kong couple locking horns with a mainland woman in front of them on a Cathay flight to London jogged my memory of numerous unpleasant flights. To lock horns means to argue angrily or to fight. To jog someone’s memory means to make that person remember something. Many airlines have increased seats in economy, giving passengers less space. If someone in front fully reclines the seat, the person behind will have even less space. This has happened to me many times, making it impossible to watch movies.

There are numerous news reports of passengers arguing because of reclined seats. This is what happened between the Hong Kong couple and the mainland woman who fully reclined her seat. The couple behind asked the mainlander to straighten her seat but she refused. The couple threw a fit, which means got very angry, and kicked the back of her seat. A flight attendant asked the mainlander not to recline her seat, but she refused. The Hong Kong couple got angrier and used foul language.

The mainlander was upgraded to premium economy. Cathay banned the couple from all future flights for their bad behaviour. I think the couple and the mainlander were both wrong. The couple should not have kicked the mainlander’s seat or used bad language. The mainlander should have obeyed the flight attendant’s request to straighten her seat. She could have compromised by straightening it a little. Some years ago, a passenger in front of me fully reclined his seat on a Cathay premium economy flight. He obeyed when the flight attendant asked him to straighten his seat. Cathay is right to ban the couple, but not for life.

在一班飛往倫敦的國泰航機上，一對香港夫婦與坐在他們前面的內地女子爭執（locking horns），這些報道喚起我無數次不愉快飛行旅程的記憶（jogged my memory）。To lock horns是指去激烈爭執或爭鬥。To jog someone’s memory是指令某人回想起某事。許多航空公司都增加了經濟艙的座位，導致乘客的空間減少。若坐前面的人將椅背完全後傾，那坐後排的人空間便更小。這樣的事在我身上已經發生過許多次，令我無法觀看電影。

已經有無數的新聞報道，乘客因為椅背調整問題而爭吵。這就是香港夫婦與那位完全挨後的內地女子之間所發生的事。後排的夫婦要求內地人調直椅背，但她拒絕了。夫婦 threw a fit，意即他們勃然大怒，然後又踢她的椅背。一名空中服務員要求內地人不要挨後，但她拒絕。香港夫婦更加憤怒，用了粗言穢語。

內地人最終獲升級至特選經濟客位。因為該對夫婦的惡劣行徑，國泰禁止他們往後乘搭集團的任何航班。我認為夫婦與那位內地人都做錯了。夫婦不應踢內地人的椅背或用髒話，而內地人亦應聽從空中服務員的請求，將椅背較直。她當時便應該妥協，將椅背調直一點。許多年前，在國泰一程特選經濟的航班上，我前面的乘客將他的椅背完全調後，當空中服務員叫他調直椅背時，他聽從了。國泰禁止夫婦乘搭其航班是對的，但也不用終身禁搭。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻