Down in the dumps

2020/11/05 04:13:00 網誌分類: 生活

05 Nov

        　　Halloween has come and gone. Next up is Thanksgiving. When I lived in the US, Halloween was the precursor to the start of the holiday season, which began with Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas and New Year. The expression "next up" means next in line or the next thing to happen. The word "precursor" means someone or something that comes before another. I spent last Halloween in London on vacation. Luckily, the coronavirus pandemic had not yet started. The year before, I spent Halloween on a Mediterranean cruise with my siblings and their families. The word "siblings" means your younger or older brothers and sisters. But last Saturday on Halloween night I stayed home alone feeling down in the dumps.

        　　If you are "down in the dumps", it means you are feeling unhappy, gloomy, or depressed. When I lived in Central, near Lan Kwai Fong, I sometimes went there for Halloween with a few friends. But none of my friends wanted to go this year because of the coronavirus. It was the sensible thing to do. Even though there are social distancing rules, many people ignore such rules. And Halloween doesn't have the same feel if revelers must follow strict rules, which include wearing facemasks. It would be pointless to wear Halloween costumes and paint your face if you must also wear a facemask. The word "revelers" means people who enjoy themselves in a lively and noisy way.

        　　I am sure I will feel down in the dumps during Christmas and New Year as well. In past years, I either went on trips during Christmas and New Year or family members in the US would come to Hong Kong. But the coronavirus pandemic means travel is impossible this holiday season. Most borders are shut. Hong Kong people who go to countries where borders are not shut would still have to quarantine for two weeks when they return. That's why I will stay put in Hong Kong this holiday season. To "stay put" means to remain where you are.

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        　　萬聖節來了又去了。接下來的（next up）是感恩節。我還住在美國時，萬聖節是整個節慶時節的前奏（precursor），這個節慶時節由感恩節開始，然後是聖誕和新年。習語“next up”意即接下來或下一樣要發生的事。Precursor是指作為前導或先驅的某人或某事。上一年的萬聖節，我在倫敦度假，幸而當時新冠肺炎疫情還未開始。再上一年，我則跟我的兄弟姊妹（siblings）及他們的家人，在一架地中海郵輪上度過萬聖節。Siblings就是指你的兄弟姊妹。但上星期六的萬聖節夜，我獨自一人留在家中，感到down in the dumps。

        　　若你是down in the dumps，意即你感到不快、沮喪或憂鬱的。當我還住在中環近蘭桂坊之時，我有時會趁萬聖節，跟幾個朋友去那裏逛一逛。然而，今年因為新冠肺炎疫情，我沒有朋友想去那裏。這是明智的做法。即使有社交距離措施，許多人卻都漠視這些規則。而且若尋歡作樂的人（revelers）都必須遵守嚴謹的措施，包括佩戴口罩，那萬聖節的感覺亦已不再一樣了。若你必須戴口罩，穿萬聖節的服飾和化五顏六色的妝亦變得毫無意義。Revelers是指喜愛熱鬧的狂歡者。

        　　我肯定，在這個聖誕和新年我也會感到頹喪、心情低落的（down in the dumps）。在往年的聖誕和新年期間，我要不就是去了旅遊度假，要不就是美國的家人來香港看我。但新冠肺炎疫情意味着，在這個節日時節期間旅遊是想都不用想了。大部份國家都封關了。

        　　那些香港人若到訪一些沒有關閉邊境的國家，回港之後還要隔離檢疫兩星期。因此我在這個節日時節會呆在（stay put）香港了。To“stay put”即留在原地不動、維持原狀。中譯：七刻



        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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