Work Wonders
2019/11/07 04:12:19 網誌分類: 生活
The word “rejuvenate” means to make someone or something feel younger and more energetic. I felt totally rejuvenated by my two-week trip. The word “twofold” has two meanings. It can mean twice as much, or having two parts. The word “morph” used this way means to gradually change from one thing to another. The Hong Kong protests started as protests against the extradition bill but have now changed to become protests against the government. Taxi drivers are always a good source of information. That’s why I always talk to taxi drivers when I travel abroad. The London taxi driver who took me from the airport to my hotel knew about the Hong Kong protests but was unclear about the background. He just knew about police firing teargas at students.
The salesman at a London shop where I bought a yellow vest for attending protests as a journalist asked why I was buying it. I told him as a journalist I needed it to cover protests. He knew about the protests and said he saw TV news showing police beating reporters. He urged me to be careful. My ex-father-in-law and sister-in-law who lived in Hong Kong before reunification were both shocked by what’s happening here. They are not political and are unfamiliar with the blue and yellow ribbon groups. But they feel sad a city they once lived in is no longer a place they can recognize.
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有兩個星期的時間離開香港的社會動盪，對於身心得以恢復活力（rejuvenate），確有奇效（work wonders）。正如我在上一篇文章所言，我最近花了兩星期在倫敦和巴黎度過。我的旅程有兩部份（twofold）：我想花點時間跟我的親友在一起，好能恢復我身心的活力（rejuvenate）；而且我也想看看西方的人對香港的反引渡條例示威所知有多少，它現在漸已變成（morphed）反政府示威。若某事works wonders for you，即是指它對你來說非常有效。倫敦和巴黎對我有意想不到的奇效（works wonders），因為清新的空氣、佳餚美食與美酒都幫助我放鬆心情。
Rejuvenate一字是指令某人或某事變得更年輕、更精神、更有活力。我這兩星期的旅程實在令我感到精神煥發，完全恢復了活力（rejuvenated）。Twofold則有兩個意思，它可以解作雙倍的，又或雙重的、有兩部份的。Morph在這裏是指某物慢慢蛻變成另一種物事。香港的示威始於反對引渡條例修訂，但現在已經轉變成反政府的示威。的士司機往往是很好的資訊來源，因此我在外地旅行的時候總是會跟的士司機攀談。倫敦那位載我由機場到酒店的的士司機，也知道香港的示威活動，但就不太清楚事件的背景。他只知道警方有向學生發射催淚彈。
我在倫敦某店購買一件黃色背心，用來以記者身份出席示威活動，那店的售貨員問我為甚麼要買這件背心。我跟他說我是一名記者，需要穿背心去報道示威活動。他也知道香港的示威，並說他從電視新聞報道看到有警察打記者。他力勸我要小心為上。我的前外父與姑嫂九七回歸前住在香港，他們都對香港這裏所發生的事很震驚。他們並不多理政治，也不熟悉甚麼是藍絲與黃絲陣營，但對於他們曾居住過的城市變得面目全非，不再是自己所認識的模樣，他們感到很傷感。mickchug@gmail.com
中譯：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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