又中又英｜Sojourn

By the time you read this, I will be in Hong Kong again after my sojourn in Taiwan. This was my second visit to Taipei in the past two years. This visit was a mixed bag of experiences. My first visit was longer than a sojourn. In between my two visits, I travelled across the US and came to Hong Kong several times. After almost three years of travelling, I have decided to take time out after my Hong Kong stay. I will find a home in the US and put my feet up until I get the urge to travel again.

A sojourn is a short stay in a place that is not your home. A mixed bag used this way means a mixture of good and bad things. To take time out means to stop doing something for a while and do something else. To put your feet up means to relax and do very little. My Taiwan sojourn this time was a mixed bag because I had good and bad experiences. I had a cold with a runny nose and headache for almost a week. Luckily, my Covid self-test was negative.

Taipei weather is very unpredictable, warm and sunny one day, and cold and rainy the next day. Taipei very often has light rain and gloomy skies, which depresses me. But I also met many new friends from Hong Kong during my sojourn. They went to Taipei to start small businesses such as dessert shops and restaurants. Taiwanese are friendly people. Several have offered me their seats on MTR trains. One little boy talked with me in English to learn. Those were good experiences.

当你读到这里的时候，我已经结束在台湾的旅居（sojourn），再度回港。这是我在过去两年来，第二次赴台北。今次的台北之行，是各种经历的大杂烩（mixed bag）。我第一次的逗留，比旅居（sojourn）的时间要长。而在我两次访台期间，我曾穿州过省地游历美国，也曾几度回到香港。经过接近三年的旅游之后，我已经决定要在这次逗留香港之后，暂停一下（take time out）。我会在美国找个安居之所，好好休息（put my feet up），直至我再有强烈的欲望想旅游。

A sojourn是短暂逗留、旅居一个地方，而那里并非你的家。A mixed bag在这里是指好坏参半。To take time out就是停止做某事一会儿，去做点别的事。To put your feet up就是好好休息，做很少的事。我这次旅居（sojourn）台湾是好坏参半（mixed bag），因为混杂了好与不好的经历。我曾患上感冒，流鼻水和头痛了差不多一个星期。幸好我的新冠病毒自我检测的结果是阴性的。

台北的天气阴晴不定、变幻莫测，一天是和暖而阳光灿烂，后一天却是阴冷下雨。台北常常都是微雨和阴天，令我感到消沉。不过，在旅居（sojourn）期间，我也认识到许多从香港过去的新朋友。他们到台北大多是开一些小生意，例如甜品店和餐厅。台湾人亦是很友善的人。有好些人在捷运上让座给我。一个小男孩跟我用英文聊天，学学英语。那些都是很好的经历。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻