又中又英｜Fend off

It’s been more than three years since I left my birthplace Hong Kong, but friends still ask if I prefer living in the US or Hong Kong. I fend off such questions because there is no easy answer. The expression “fend off” used this way means to avoid something that is difficult. Comparing the US with Hong Kong is like comparing apples with oranges. I am in Indianapolis visiting my brother-in-law, my late elder sister’s husband. I took him to the emergency section of a hospital because he had a bad cough. The waiting room was clean with comfortable sofas.

A nurse came within five minutes, took him to a large private room with a bed, checked his temperature, and tested him for flu and Covid. A doctor came 30 minutes later, examined him, and said he needed blood tests and an X-Ray. The results were ready in two hours. Such efficiency and a private room are impossible in Hong Kong’s public or even private hospital emergency sections. But US health care is very expensive unless your employer pays, or if you are 65 or older, when the government pays.

We went to a supermarket to buy flowers in remembrance of my late elder sister. When the checkout lady saw we only wanted flowers, she said the flowers were free! This would never happen in Hong Kong. But Hong Kong has many upsides unavailable in the US. The MTR runs like clockwork, which means very regularly and efficiently. It’s a very walkable city with shops and supermarkets everywhere. You must have a car in the US because nothing is nearby except in New York City, which also has a good subway system.

我离开香港我的出生之地，已经三年有多，但朋友们仍然会问，到底我偏好住在美国抑或香港。我会 fend off这样的问题，因为它难有简单的答案。习语“fend off”在这里是指去避开某样困难的事。要去比较美国跟香港，就好像比较苹果和橙。我现在身处印第安纳波利斯，探望我亡姐的丈夫。因为他咳得厉害，我带了他去一间医院的急症部。等候室很乾净，有舒适的梳化。

不消五分钟，护士已来到，带他去一个偌大而有床的私人病房，给他量体温，做流感和新冠肺炎测试。一个医生三十分钟后来到，替他做检查，说他需要验血和照X光。两小时内已能取得报告。这样的效率和一间私人病房，在香港的公立甚或私立的急症室是不可能的事。然而，美国的医保非常昂贵，除非你的雇主为你付钱，又或者你已是六十五岁或以上，那就由政府为你支付。

为了纪念我的亡姐，我们去了超市买花。当那位收银的女士见我们只要花束时，她说花是免费的！这在香港根本不可能发生。但香港也有许多好的一面，是美国没有的。港铁运作如 clockwork，意思是说它非常规律而有效率。这个城市要走到哪里都很方便，随处都是店铺和超市。在美国，你必须要有车辆，因为附近甚么也没有，除非在纽约市，那里就有一个很好的地铁系统。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻