You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t

2019/08/29 09:42:39 網誌分類: 生活

29 Aug

        　　You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Many Hong Kong people feel this way nowadays. Big companies in particular also feel this way. They feel they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. The expression “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” means you will be criticized whatever you do. Hong Kong’s current political situation has made many people feel this way. If you support the anti-extradition protests, you will be criticized by some people, including even friends and family members. If you don’t support the protests and support the government and the police instead, you will be criticized by other people, including family members and friends.

        　　Big Hong Kong companies, including Cathay Pacific, the MTR, the Airport Authority, and the property developer companies are all feeling the heat. If you are “feeling the heat”, it means you are feeling a lot of pressure. Cathay felt the heat recently when the central government accused it of being too lenient on staff members who supported the protests. It told Cathay that planes with pilots and flight attendants who support the protests would be banned from Chinese airspace. Cathay had to fire several pilots, flight crew, and even the union head of Cathay Dragon. Cathay’s CEO also resigned. But this angered many Hong Kong people who criticized the airline. Cathay was damned if it did and damned if it didn’t.

        　　Property developers who felt the heat from the central government and mainland media had to put full-page advertisements in newspapers opposing the protests and supporting the police. They too were criticized by people who mocked (ridiculed) them for kowtowing to the central government. Last week the MTR shut down stations in protest areas even though the police had given permission for the protests. The MTR did this after mainland media accused it of being too lenient on protesters by providing trains for them to go home. But ordinary commuters angrily criticized the MTR for inconveniencing them. The MTR was damned if it did and damned if it didn’t.

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        　　You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.今時今日，許多香港人都有這種感覺，尤其是大公司，更是深有此感。他們覺得they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t。習語“damned if you do and damned if you don’t”意即無論你怎樣做都會被批評，兩邊都不討好。香港現時的政治環境，令許多人也有這種感受。若你支持反送中示威，你會被一些人批評，這些人甚至包括你的朋友和家人；若你不支持示威而支持政府與警方，你又會被其他人批評，包括你的家人和朋友。

        　　香港大型企業，包括國泰、港鐵、機管局及地產發展商，都在feeling the heat；若你正在feeling the heat，即是說你倍感受壓。國泰最近就備受壓力（felt the heat），中央政府指摘它對於支持示威的員工太寬厚，它通報國泰，航班上若有支持示威的機師與機艙服務員，都會被禁飛往內地領空。國泰要炒掉幾名機師、機組人員，甚至港龍的工會主席。國泰的行政總裁亦已辭職。然而，這也激怒了許多批評國泰航空的香港人。國泰左右為難，兩邊都不討好（damned if it did and damned if it didn’t）。

        　　備受中央政府及內地傳媒壓力（felt the heat）的地產商，則要在報章登全版廣告，表明反對示威及支持警方。他們也被人批評，嘲諷（mocked）他們向中央政府卑躬屈膝。上星期，港鐵關閉示威區沿途的好些港鐵站，即使警方已經向那些遊行和集會批了不反對通知書。在內地媒體指控港鐵對示威者太寬容、提供列車送他們回家之後，港鐵便這樣做了。然而，一般通勤的搭客則憤而批評港鐵給他們造成不便。港鐵真是順得哥情失嫂意（damned if it did and damned if it didn’t）了。

        中譯：七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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