rock bottom

2019/12/19 04:12:40 網誌分類: 生活

19 Dec

        　　It is an understatement to say Hong Kong's protest movement has upended public opinion in Taiwan leading up to next month's elections. Six months ago, before the anti-extradition bill protests began, opinion polls showed President Tsai Ing-wen’s popularity was at rock bottom, which means the lowest level possible. But now her popularity is sky-high (very high). Why did her popularity change from rock bottom to sky-high? I spent a few days in Taipei last week to update my understanding of Taiwan politics because I have not been there in many years. After four days of talking to politicians, journalists, business leaders, young people, and ordinary Taiwanese, I now have a better understanding of Taiwan politics.

        　　I took a straw poll among the people I met to find out why Tsai Ing-wen’s popularity has risen so much in the past six months. A straw poll is an informal way of asking people for their opinions on an issue. Everyone I asked agreed that her support for Hong Kong protesters fighting for democracy had improved her popularity. That’s why it is an understatement to say Hong Kong’s protest movement has upended Taiwan’s public opinion ahead of the elections. The word “understatement” means making something less important than it really is. The Hong Kong protest movement played a very important part in helping Tsai Ing-wen’s popularity. That’s why it is an understatement, or making it seem less important, to simply say the protest helped her.

        　　The word “upend” used this way means to turn something upside down. Hong Kong’s protest movement upended, or turned upside down, public opinion in Taiwan. Before the protests began, public opinion in Taiwan was against Tsai Ing-wen. Opinion polls said she and her party would lose next month’s elections. But when she said she supported the Hong Kong protest movement, would help Hong Kong protesters who want to live in Taiwan, and said the Hong Kong protests showed Taiwan could never accept Hong Kong-style one country, two systems under China, her popularity went sky-high.

        *****

        　　說香港的抗爭運動已經顛覆了（upended）台灣直到下月大選前這段時間的民意，實在是說得太保守（understatement）了。六個月前，當反對《引渡條例》的示威活動還未開始，民意調查顯示台灣的總統蔡英文的民望在 rock bottom，即是一落千丈，跌至最低點；但現在她的民望卻是高聳入雲（sky-high）。為甚麼她的民望會由谷底（rock bottom）反彈，轉成高企（sky-high）？我上星期有幾天去了台北，了解台灣政治的最新動態，因為我已經多年沒有到訪過當地了。經過四日跟政客、記者、商業領袖、年輕人和一般台灣人傾談過後，我現在對台灣政治有了更深入的理解。

        　　我跟我遇見的人做了一個非正式統計（straw poll），找出究竟為甚麼蔡英文的民望會在過去六個月飆升得那麼多。A straw poll就是非正式的調查，問問人們對某一議題的看法。我問過的人盡都認同，她對香港示威者爭取民主的支持，着實提高了她的民望。因此，說香港的抗爭運動顛覆了（upended）台灣大選前的民意，實在是過於保守的說法（understatement）。 Understatement即是輕描淡寫、未能充份反映事實的陳述。香港抗爭運動在提升蔡英文的民望上，實在扮演了關鍵的角色；因此單單說香港示威扶了她一把，實在是個 understatement，即是說得太輕、低估了現況。

        　　Upend在這裏是指顛倒、扭轉了某事。香港的抗爭運動已然顛覆了（upended）台灣的民意。示威活動開始前，台灣的民意是反對蔡英文的；眾多民調都顯示，她和她的黨會在下月大選中輸掉。但當她說她支持香港抗爭運動，會協助想移居台灣的香港示威者，以及說香港的抗爭運動證明，台灣永不能接受中國治下的港式一國兩制，她的民望就此升至天一般的高（sky-high）了。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

回應 (0)

我要發表

rock bottom

網誌分類

最新網誌

月曆