又中又英｜In the thick of

By the time you read this, I will be in Taipei for a holiday before flying to the US. I chose a window seat for my Cathay business class flight because I love looking at Hong Kong\'s harbour from a plane. Cathay\'s fares are higher than many other airlines, but I chose it to support Hong Kong\'s own airline. Flying over the harbour made me sorely miss Hong Kong. To sorely miss something means to miss it very much. I took consolation in knowing I will always visit again. To take consolation means to try to comfort yourself or be less unhappy about something sad.

Being in the US at this time will be exciting for me as a journalist even though I no longer write political columns. I lived and worked in Washington DC for many years, covering the Congress, State Department, and the White House. I hope to write some columns about the elections for this and other publications. This means I will be in the thick of the election campaign leading up to election day on November 5. To be in the thick of something means to be involved in an exciting or dangerous situation, such as an election, or a fight.

Americans will either re-elect Democrat Joe Biden for a second and final term or Republican Donald Trump, who served one term as president which makes him eligible to run for a second term. Biden, who will turn 82 in November, is the oldest presidential candidate in US history. Trump, aged 77, was last week convicted of covering up a sex scandal. He is the first US president to be found guilty of a crime.

当你读到这里的时候，我已经在台北度假，之后会飞往美国。我选了国泰商务舱一个窗边的座位，因为我喜爱从飞机上看香港的海港。国泰的价钱比许多其他航空公司的要高，但我还是选择搭它来支持香港自己的航空公司。飞越维港令我sorely miss香港——to sorely miss something是指非常想念某事物。但我知道我总还能再度访港，这就给我带来莫大的安慰（took consolation）。To take consolation是指你尝试安慰自己或令自己不去为着某件伤心的事而那么难过。

这次在美国，将是对我作为新闻工作者来说很兴奋的事，即使我已没有写政治专栏。我在华盛顿特区居住和工作多年，报道过美国国会、美国国务院以及白宫。我希望能为本报以及其他出版物撰写有关美国选举的专栏。这亦意味着现今直到11月5日大选日，我会处于（in the thick of）大选活动最紧张的时刻。To be in the thick of something是指置身于一个最紧张或最激烈的处境中，例如一个选举，又或一场打斗中。

美国人不是选民主党的祖‧拜登，就是选共和党的唐纳德‧特朗普，前者竞逐他的第二个亦是最后一个任期，后者曾就任一个任期的总统，令他符合竞逐第二个任期的资格。拜登于11月将会是82岁，成为美国史上最年老的总统候选人。年届77岁的特朗普，上星期因为伪造纪录掩盖性丑闻被判罪成。他是首位被法庭定罪的美国总统。
 
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻