又中又英｜Butterflies in your stomach

Fears of a bedbug outbreak in Hong Kong have terrified people out of their wits. South Korea, Paris, and London already have bedbug outbreaks. Experts say the resumption of international travel after the Covid pandemic could cause a bedbug outbreak in Hong Kong. Many people had butterflies in their stomach seeing social media pictures of a bedbug on an Airport Express train and on a KMB bus. There was panic buying of insect killers after the pictures went viral. If you are terrified out of your wits, it means you are very scared. If you have butterflies in your stomach, it means you feel very nervous about something.

The word “panic” means a strong feeling of anxiety or fear. To panic buy means to buy far more of something than people need because they are afraid supplies will run out. One retailer said it sold about $2 million worth of bedbug-killing products in just one day. The Airport Express and KMB have disinfected their trains and buses. But experts say bedbugs are as common as mosquitoes. Both suck blood from humans but bedbugs don’t spread diseases like mosquitoes. The experts said people can avoid bedbugs with good hygiene and simple precautions.

I admit I also have butterflies in my stomach when I use public transport after reading about bedbugs on an Airport Express train and a KMB bus. There is little risk of bedbugs hiding in MTR train seats because the seats are made of steel. But I always stand when riding the MTR. Bedbugs, however, can easily hide in the cushioned seats of buses and Airport Express trains.

香港害怕爆发床虱之患，已经吓得人们魂不附体（terrified people out of their wits）。南韩、巴黎和伦敦都已爆发床虱。专家指，新冠肺炎疫症以后恢复国际旅游，可以导致香港亦爆发床虱。许多人从社交媒体的图片中，看到机场快线列车和九巴上也有床虱的踪影，便忐忑不安（butterflies in their stomach）。图片疯传后，人们恐慌性抢购（panic buying）灭虫产品。若你是terrified out of your wits，意即你怕得要命、给吓死了。若你有butterflies in your stomach，意即你对某事感到非常紧张、心慌。

Panic解作惊慌、恐慌；to panic buy是指盲目、疯狂抢购一样东西，多于自己所需用的，因为他们担心供货会短缺甚或售罄。一个零售商说，他们单单一天就卖出总值差不多200万元的杀灭床虱产品。机场快线和九巴亦有消毒其列车和巴士车厢。但专家们说，床虱就跟蚊子一样常见。两者都会吸血，但床虱不会像蚊一样传播疾病。专家们说，拥有良好衞生与简单的预防措施，就可以避免床虱出现。

我承认，在读过关于床虱在机场快线和九巴出没的消息后，我使用公共交通工具时也会忐忑不安（butterflies in my stomach）。港铁车厢座位都是以钢铁制成的，因此可以藏匿床虱的风险较小，但每当搭港铁时，我还总是站着。然而，床虱却容易躲藏在巴士和机场快綫的褥垫座位之中。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻