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!

社交媒体平台例如脸书、YouTube、推特和微信，加在一起于全球拥有数十亿的用户。我大部分的朋友都有脸书、Instagram和其他帐户。他们常问我为甚么我没有用社交媒体，即使我是一名新闻工作者。我跟他们说，我就是 not into it——若你是 not into something，意即你并不热衷某事物，对它没有兴趣。我离开香港前，我要做英文和广东话的电视节目，为几份报章写专栏。我已经有许多事情要处理，忙不过来了（a lot on my plate），并不想再迷上（get hooked on）像脸书的平台。

若你有 a lot on your plate，意即你有许多事要做，分身不暇。若你是 hooked on something，意即你迷上某事而花许多时间去做，甚或不能自拔，像瘾君子般无法停止吸食毒品。我有朋友对脸书上瘾（hooked on），总要在上面花上好几个小时。我只用WhatsApp和Signal跟我的家人和朋友保持联络。现在于社交媒体世界，又有一个初来乍到的新小子（a new kid on the block）啦。坐拥脸书、WhatsApp和Instagram的Meta，上星期新开了Threads，去跟推特较量。

A new kid on the block是指一个人或一样事物初到新地方，通常是与他人竞争的。只有那些有用Instagram的人会用Threads。传媒报道指，Threads跟推特很相似。脸书老板马克‧朱克伯格已经同意去跟推特老板伊隆‧马斯克到铁笼中搏斗。推特跟Threads的比拼就是第一回合！

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻