tugged at my heartstrings

2019/11/14 04:13:42 網誌分類: 生活

14 Nov

        　　For the past two weeks I have written about my recent trip to London and Paris. Today, I will take a temporary break from writing about my trip and focus on something that has tugged at my heart for over a week now. On the Sunday night I returned from London, I could hear police teargas being fired. I looked out the window of my Tseung Kwan O apartment and saw many police vans at the nearby Sheung Tak housing estate. As a journalist, I often go to observe whenever there are protests in Tseung Kwan O. But that night I was too tired from my plane trip to walk to Sheung Tak and risk teargas even though I have a respirator (gasmask).

        　　I tried to sleep but jetlag and the noise from police sirens kept me awake almost all night. The next day I read news reports that Chow Tsz-lok, a 22-year-old university student, was in critical condition after falling from the third to the second floor at the Sheung Tak carpark. In the following days, news reports said he was comatose. I couldn't believe it and hoped and prayed every day that Chow Tsz-lok would bounce back from his brain injury. Sadly, he did not bounce back and died last Friday. His death has tugged at my heart for days. If something tugs at your heart, or heartstrings, it means it makes you feel sad, sympathetic, and full of love.

        　　If you are comatose, or in a coma, it means you are unconscious and unable to be woken due to brain damage. To "bounce back" means to quickly return to a normal condition. Last Friday, when Chow Tsz-lok died, I went to the Sheung Tak carpark to observe people putting flowers at the spot where he fell. It tugged at my heartstrings to see so many people lining up for hours to silently put flowers and light candles. I wanted to put flowers too but knew, as a journalist, I can only be an observer, not a participant.

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        　　在過去兩個星期，我寫過我最近去倫敦和巴黎的旅程。今天我暫且不寫那次旅程，專注一件令我心痛（tugged at my heart）超過一個星期的事。星期日晚，我從倫敦回來，聽到警方的催淚彈已發射，我望向我將軍澳單位的窗外，見到有許多警車在尚德邨附近。身為新聞工作者，當將軍澳區有示威活動，我經常會去觀察。然而，那一晚我搭完一程飛機，實在太累，即使我有一個防毒面罩（respirator），也未能步行往尚德，冒催淚煙的危險。

        　　我嘗試睡覺，但時差和警隊響號的嘈音令我差不多整晚也睡不着。翌日我從新聞報道中知悉，一位二十二歲的大學生周梓樂，在尚德停車場從三樓跌落二樓，情況危殆。

        　　接着那幾天，新聞報道指他陷入昏迷狀態（comatose）。我實在難以置信，只能每天希望和祈禱周梓樂可以從大腦損傷中恢復過來（bounce back）。很不幸地，他沒有復原（bounce back），上星期五去世了。他的離世令我多日以來心痛婉惜（tugged at my heart）。若某事tugs at your heart或heartstrings，即是指它觸動你心弦，令你感到黯然神傷、心痛而又充滿愛憐。

        　　若你是comatose或in a coma，即是指你失去意識，因為腦創傷而昏迷。To bounce back就是快速地回復正常狀態。上星期五，周梓樂離世當天，我去了尚德停車場，觀察人們在他墮樓的地點獻花。

        　　見到那麼多人花上多個小時，靜靜地排隊獻花和燃點蠟燭，深深觸動我心（tugged at my heartstrings）。我也想去獻花，但知道自己身為新聞工作者，我只能是一位觀察者，而不是參與者。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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