又中又英
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又中又英

Put their heads together

2020/04/16 04:12:29 網誌分類: 生活
16 Apr
          No one knows when the coronavirus pandemic will end but many epidemiologists agree the new coronavirus is seasonal. They say it can only be brought under control when scientists develop a vaccine. When the coronavirus, which first spread in Wuhan, is finally brought under control Hong Kong government officials will have to put their heads together to find ways to kick-start the economy. One of the reasons they have to put their heads together is to decide how to distribute 500,000 plane tickets the government bought. It bought 500,000 tickets from Hong Kong-owned airlines to support them during the pandemic. The airline industry has been hard hit because very few people are travelling.

          An epidemiologist is someone who studies diseases and how they are found, spread, and controlled. The expression "put their heads together" means a group of people sharing ideas to solve a problem. The word "kick-start" used this way means to get something started very quickly. All countries will try to kick-start their economies when the coronavirus is under control. I fully support the government's decision to help Hong Kong-owned airlines. Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong icon, which we should support. Its business was affected by the anti-extradition protests and by the mainland government punishing it because some Cathay staff supported the protests.

          How will the government distribute the 500,000 tickets it bought from Cathay and other Hong Kong airlines? Officials will have to put their heads together to come up with politically savvy ideas. The word "savvy" used this way means having the intelligence to make good judgments. Officials have said they might give some tickets to foreign tourists to come here to kick-start the tourism industry. But how will they decide who to choose? And what about Hong Kong people? The tickets were bought with taxpayers'money. I don't know if the government bought only economy tickets or also business and first class. Who will get the first and business class tickets? I think the savviest way is to have a lottery with 400,000 tickets for Hong Kong people only and the rest for foreign tourists.

        *****

          沒有人知道新冠病毒全球大流行何時會完結,但許多流行病學家(epidemiologists)都認同,這新型冠狀病毒是季節性的。他們說,只有在科學家研發到疫苗的時候,它才得以受控。當這首先於武漢爆發的新冠病毒終能在香港受到控制之時,香港政府官員就得集思廣益(put their heads together),尋覓能快速啟動(kick-start)經濟的良方。其中一個他們要聚首出謀獻策(put their heads together)的原因,就是要決定怎樣去分發政府買來的五十萬張機票。政府向本港航空公司買了五十萬張機票,以在全球大流行疾病疫情期間支援它們。航空業界在這次疫情中受到重擊,因為很少人外遊。

          An epidemiologist就是流行病學家,研究疾病怎樣被發現、傳播和控制。習語“put their heads together”是指一班人聚首交流想法,集思廣益去解決一個問題。Kick-start在這裏的意思是迅速地啟動某事。當新冠病毒疫情得以受控,所有國家都將會嘗試快速啟動(kick-start)經濟。我完全支持政府幫援助本港航空的決定。國泰是一個香港標誌,我們都應予以支持。它的業務因着反引渡條例修訂的示威大受影響,也因為有些國泰員工支持示威活動,導致它被內地政府嚴懲。

          政府會怎樣分發那從國泰和其他本地航空公司所買來的五十萬張機票呢?官員們要聚在一起出謀獻策(put their heads together),好想出一些有政治見地(savvy)的點子。Savvy在這裏是指有智慧能作出好的判斷。官員已說了,他們會分發一些機票予外國遊客到這裏來,以刺激(kick-start)旅遊業。但他們如何決定選誰去得到機票?香港人又怎樣呢?這些機票可是用納稅人的錢買來的啊。

          我也不知道政府是只買了經濟艙,還是也買了商務及頭等的機位。誰可以得到頭等和商務位的機票?我認為最精明(savviest)的方法,就是來個四十萬張機票大抽獎,只讓香港人參加,其餘的就分發給外國遊客。中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
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