又中又英｜walking on air

There are many ways to tell if a person is happy or sad. One way is to look at the way a person walks. Is that person walking with hunched shoulders? Does it look like that person is walking on air? Another way to tell a person’s mood is facial expression. It’s the easiest way to tell if a person is happy, sad, or anxious. To walk with hunched shoulders means to walk with your shoulders raised, your head down, and your body leaning forward. People who are sad or cold often walk with hunched shoulders.
If you are walking on air, it means you are very happy. Your facial expression is the way you show your feelings without saying anything. It is hard to guess if a person is happy or sad if a facemask covers a person’s facial expression. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced a Happy Hong Kong campaign in his recent budget. Three days later the government announced people must still wear facemasks at least until March 8. I felt it was stupid to have a Happy Hong Kong campaign when masks make it impossible to tell if people are happy.
The government flip-flopped on Tuesday when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chi cancelled all mask rules after Macau cancelled the need to wear masks outdoors, making Hong Kong the only place in the world to require facemasks. To flip-flop means to suddenly and completely change an earlier decision. Why is the Hong Kong government always playing second fiddle to Singapore and Macau? To play second fiddle means to be less important than another place or person.
 

要知道一个是开心还是忧伤，有很多方法，其中一个方法就是去看一个人走路的姿态。那个人走路是否弓着背（hunched shoulders）？还是那个人走路轻飘飘的、像腾云驾雾一般的快乐（walking on air）？另一个可以看出一个人心情的方法就是面部表情（facial expression），这是最容易去知道某人是快乐、忧伤又或紧张的方法。To walk with hunched shoulders即是驼着肩背、垂着头，身体向前倾。那些忧伤又或寒冷的人常会弓着背（hunched shoulders）走路。
若你是 walking on air，意即你得意洋洋、高兴极了。你的 facial expression就是你的面部表情，不用说话已能反映出你的心情。若戴上了口罩遮盖了一个人的面部表情（facial expression），那就很难去猜度那人到底是快乐还是不快乐。财政司司长陈茂波在他最近的财政预算案中宣布一个名为「快乐香港」的活动。三天后，政府则宣布，至少直至三月八日前人们仍必须戴口罩。去推广一个「快乐香港」的活动，戴着口罩却令人难以辨别他人是快乐还是不快乐，我觉得这实在愚蠢得很。

星期二，政府却来了个一百八十度大转弯（flip-flopped），在澳门取消室外地方必须戴口罩的措施，令香港成为全世界唯一一个必须戴口罩的地方后，特首李家超便取消了口罩令。 To flip-flop就是出尔反尔，突然全盘推翻早前的决定。为甚么香港政府总是在 playing second fiddle to新加坡和澳门？ To play second fiddle的意思就是屈居另一人或另一地方之后，居次要的地位。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻