又中又英｜To lock horns

Reports of a Hong Kong couple locking horns with a mainland woman in front of them on a Cathay flight to London jogged my memory of numerous unpleasant flights. To lock horns means to argue angrily or to fight. To jog someone’s memory means to make that person remember something. Many airlines have increased seats in economy, giving passengers less space. If someone in front fully reclines the seat, the person behind will have even less space. This has happened to me many times, making it impossible to watch movies.

There are numerous news reports of passengers arguing because of reclined seats. This is what happened between the Hong Kong couple and the mainland woman who fully reclined her seat. The couple behind asked the mainlander to straighten her seat but she refused. The couple threw a fit, which means got very angry, and kicked the back of her seat. A flight attendant asked the mainlander not to recline her seat, but she refused. The Hong Kong couple got angrier and used foul language.

The mainlander was upgraded to premium economy. Cathay banned the couple from all future flights for their bad behaviour. I think the couple and the mainlander were both wrong. The couple should not have kicked the mainlander’s seat or used bad language. The mainlander should have obeyed the flight attendant’s request to straighten her seat. She could have compromised by straightening it a little. Some years ago, a passenger in front of me fully reclined his seat on a Cathay premium economy flight. He obeyed when the flight attendant asked him to straighten his seat. Cathay is right to ban the couple, but not for life.

在一班飞往伦敦的国泰航机上，一对香港夫妇与坐在他们前面的内地女子争执（locking horns），这些报道唤起我无数次不愉快飞行旅程的记忆（jogged my memory）。To lock horns是指去激烈争执或争斗。To jog someone’s memory是指令某人回想起某事。许多航空公司都增加了经济舱的座位，导致乘客的空间减少。若坐前面的人将椅背完全后倾，那坐后排的人空间便更小。这样的事在我身上已经发生过许多次，令我无法观看电影。

已经有无数的新闻报道，乘客因为椅背调整问题而争吵。这就是香港夫妇与那位完全挨后的内地女子之间所发生的事。后排的夫妇要求内地人调直椅背，但她拒绝了。夫妇 threw a fit，意即他们勃然大怒，然后又踢她的椅背。一名空中服务员要求内地人不要挨后，但她拒绝。香港夫妇更加愤怒，用了粗言秽语。

内地人最终获升级至特选经济客位。因为该对夫妇的恶劣行径，国泰禁止他们往后乘搭集团的任何航班。我认为夫妇与那位内地人都做错了。夫妇不应踢内地人的椅背或用脏话，而内地人亦应听从空中服务员的请求，将椅背较直。她当时便应该妥协，将椅背调直一点。许多年前，在国泰一程特选经济的航班上，我前面的乘客将他的椅背完全调后，当空中服务员叫他调直椅背时，他听从了。国泰禁止夫妇乘搭其航班是对的，但也不用终身禁搭。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻