又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

Annus Horribilis

2019/12/31 04:12:42 網誌分類: 生活
31 Dec
          In November 1992, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II used a very unusual expression to describe 1992 during a speech to commemorate (celebrate, mark) her 40th year as queen. She used the expression "annus horribilis". Some analysts and commentators in Hong Kong's English media have recently used the same expression to describe 2019. They said the year was an annus horribilis. The Latin expression "annus horribilis" means a year of disaster or very bad events. Most Hong Kong people will agree 2019, which ends today, was an annus horribilis. The past seven months were the worst I have seen in my many years as a journalist. Queen Elizabeth II used the expression because 1992 was a very bad year for her.

          The Hong Kong annus horribilis began when Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor proposed an extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to many countries, including mainland China. Many Hong Kong organizations, including business and legal groups, opposed the bill because of mainland China's opaque legal system. They said China's opaque legal system could not guarantee a fair trial for Hong Kong people extradited to the mainland. The word "opaque" can be used in several ways but used this way it means not transparent. Even though hundreds of thousands of people marched in protest against the bill, Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor did not listen. She withdrew the bill only after peaceful protests became violent.

          But it was too late. Protesters made more demands. The government refused to agree to the demands. Protests became more violent, with protesters using petrol bombs and police firing teargas. Society became deeply divided. Thousands of young people have been arrested in the past seven months, there is hatred between the people and the police, and no one knows how peace can return to Hong Kong. That's why 2019 is an annus horribilis. The opposite of annus horribilis is annus mirabilis, which means a very auspicious year. I do not know if 2020 will be an annus mirabilis. I hope so.

        *********

          一九九二年十一月,英女皇伊利沙伯二世在紀念(commemorate)自己即位四十周年的一篇演說中,用了一個很不尋常的字去形容一九九二年,她用了一個習語“annus horribilis”。香港英語媒體的一些分析員與評論人最近亦用了這個習語去形容二○一九年,他們說這一年是個annus horribilis。拉丁習語“annus horribilis”是指多災多難、可怕的一年。大部份香港人會同意,今天便結束的二○一九年是個可怕的一年(annus horribilis)。過去七個月,是我身為的新聞工作者多年以來所見過最惡劣的。英女皇伊利沙伯二世當時用到這個習語,是因為一九九二年對她來說確實是非常差的一年。

          當特首林鄭月娥提出《引渡條例》修訂草案,容許疑犯可引渡至多國,包括中國內地時,香港這多災多難的一年(annus horribilis)就開始了。許多香港機構,包括商業和法律團體,因着中國內地不透明的(opaque)法律制度而反對這條草案。他們說,中國不透明的(opaque)法律制度不能確保被引渡到內地的香港人獲得公平的審訊。Opaque可以有許多用法,但在這裏是指不透明的。即使數以十萬計的人遊行抗議草案,林鄭月娥一意孤行。她只在和平示威變得暴烈之後,才撤回草案。

          但這已經太遲了。示威者作出更多的訴求。政府拒絕同意這些訴求。抗議活動變得更為激烈,有示威者投擲汽油彈,警方也發射催淚彈。社會嚴重撕裂。數以千計的年輕人在過往七個月被捕;人們與警方之間充滿仇恨,而無人知道和平何時重臨香港。因此,二○一九年是個可怕的一年(annus horribilis)。Annus horribilis的相反是 annus mirabilis,意即奇蹟之年、大吉之年。我不知道二○二○年會否是大吉之年(annus mirabilis),我希望是吧。 mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
回應 (0)
我要發表
user

網誌分類