又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

come to blows

2019/09/26 04:12:43 網誌分類: 生活
26 Sep
          Stories abound of families and friends not on talking terms because of the ongoing political storm over the now withdrawn extradition bill. Some people have told me that friends actually came to blows while discussing the toxic political issue. I know several young people who have either left home or were thrown out by their families for joining protests. The word "abound" means to occur in large numbers. Therefore, if stories abound, it means there are many stories. If you are on talking terms with someone, it means you are able to talk to that person in a friendly way. If you are not on talking terms with someone, it means you do not want to talk to that person because you are angry with that person. The expression "speaking terms" has the same meaning.

          The expression "come to blows" with someone means to start fighting with that person after an angry argument. The word "toxic" means poisonous. But it can also be used to describe a situation that causes a lot of unhappiness and harm. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s much-criticized extradition bill caused a lot of anger and harm. That is why it became a toxic or poisonous political issue that caused families and friends to be not on talking terms, and for some to come to blows. Many people have asked me when and how this toxic political issue can be solved.

          That is a million dollar question. The expression "a million dollar question" means a question that is very important but very difficult to answer. It originates from TV quiz shows, the most popular of which was the TV show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" in which the competitor who answers the final most difficult question wins a million dollars. I don't think anyone has the answer to the million dollar question of when and how the toxic political question can be solved. Only Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and the central government can solve the toxic political issue but they are not willing to meet the demands of protesters. So there is no answer to the million dollar question.

        ******

          引渡條例現已撤回,但圍繞它的持續政治風暴,卻令許多家庭和朋友互不理睬(not on talking terms),這樣的故事不勝枚舉(abound)。有些人告訴我,一些朋友在討論惡毒的(toxic)政治議題時,還真的打起上來(came to blows)。我也知道有好些年輕人因為參與示威,不是自己離家出走,就是被家人逐出家門。Abound一字解大量存在;因此,若stories abound,即是充斥着許多的故事或傳言。若你are on talking terms with someone,即是說你跟那人有話可說、有傾有講;若你are not on talking terms with someone,即是指你因為惱怒某人而不想跟對方說話。習語speaking terms的意思亦一樣。

          習語come to blows是指跟人激烈爭論後開始動武、打架。Toxic一字是解有毒的,但它也可以用來形容一個帶來不快和損害的環境或狀況。特首林鄭月娥備受批評的引渡條例就引起了很多的憤怒和損害,因此它已成為惡毒的(toxic)政治議題,導致許多家庭和朋友互不理睬(not on talking terms),有些更大打出手(come to blows)。許多人都有問過我,這個有毒的(toxic)政治議題到底到幾時和要如何解決。

          這真是個 million dollar question。習語a million dollar question是指很重要但很難回答的問題。這源自電視的問答遊戲節目,其中最受歡迎的電視節目《百萬富翁》裏,能答對最後那條最艱深的問題的參賽者,就能贏得一百萬美元。到底這個惡毒的(toxic)政治問題何時和怎樣解決?我不認為有誰可解答得到這條艱深而重要的問題(million dollar question)。只有林鄭月娥和中央政府可以解決這個有毒的(toxic)政治議題,但他們都不願意回應示威者的訴求。因此,這條重要而難解的問題(million dollar question),並沒有答案。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
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