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又中又英

Ambush lockdown

2021/02/09 04:14:01 網誌分類: 生活
09 Feb
          Every evening, for more than a week now, people in different parts of Hong Kong have wondered if their building or district will be the government's next target for an ambush lockdown to test residents for the coronavirus. The tests are compulsory for all those in the district ambushed by the government. Residents who refuse to open their door or be tested are fined $5,000. Residents are not told ahead of the ambush. That's why the government used the word "ambush" to describe the lockdowns. The ambush usually starts around 7pm and those in the lockdown areas cannot leave until everyone is tested, which usually takes all night.

          Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should not have used the word "ambush". The word means to suddenly attack people after hiding and waiting for them. Robbers sometimes suddenly attack a person coming out of a bank with a lot of money after hiding and waiting. You can then say robbers ambushed (verb) the person. Soldiers can hide and wait for enemy soldiers and then suddenly attack them. You can say it was an ambush (noun). Police with advanced information can ambush (verb) terrorists who plan to set off bombs. The word is used to describe soldiers attacking enemy soldiers, robbers attacking innocent people, or terrorists attacking innocent victims.

          That's why the chief executive misused the word when describing sudden, unannounced lockdowns as an ambush. Residents living in areas for sudden, unannounced lockdowns are innocent Hong Kong people. Why does the government want to ambush them? The noun "ambusher" means an attacker. Does the government want the police and coronavirus testers who lock down districts described as attackers? Government officials have also insisted the ambush lockdowns are not real lockdowns because they only last for one night for testing. They misunderstand the word "lockdown". A lockdown is when no one can enter or leave an area. A lockdown is not measured by time. More than a week of ambush lockdowns have found very few people with the coronavirus.

        *****

          已經超過一個星期了,現在每到傍晚,香港不同地區的人都在想,到底自己的大廈或區域會不會成為政府下一個突襲(ambush)封鎖(lockdown),要居民做新冠病毒檢測的目標?在政府突襲(ambushed)的區域內,所有人都得接受強制檢測;拒絕開門或檢測的居民會被罰款五千元。每次的突襲(ambush),居民事前都不獲通知,因此政府用到“ambush”一字去形容那些封區(lockdowns)行動。突襲(ambush)通常在晚上七時左右開始,在封區(lockdown)內的人都不能離開,直至區內所有人檢測完成,通常都要通宵達旦才能解封。

          特首林鄭月娥不應該用“ambush”這個字,它是指去伏擊、突襲人。匪徒有時會埋伏,突襲那些在銀行出來,拿着很多錢的人,你便可以說,那些搶劫的匪徒ambushed(動詞)那個人。士兵也可以匿藏、埋伏等候敵方軍隊,然後突襲他們,你便可以說那是一個ambush(名詞)。警方事先取得情報,亦可以伏擊(ambush,動詞)那些想引爆炸彈的恐怖份子。Ambush一字,是用來形容士兵襲擊敵軍、匪徒襲擊無辜的人,又或恐怖份子襲擊無辜的受害者。

          因此,特首將那些突然而無預警的封區(lockdowns)形容為一個ambush,是誤用了這個字。在那些突然而無預警地封鎖(lockdowns)的區域內居住的市民,都是無辜的香港人。為何政府想去「突襲」(ambush)他們?名詞“ambusher”是指施襲者。難道政府是想將那些封鎖(lock down)區域的警方和新冠病毒檢測人員形容為施襲者?政府官員亦堅稱,那些突襲封區(ambush lockdowns)並非真正的封鎖(lockdowns),因為他們只是為了檢測而維持了一個晚上。他們誤解“lockdown”一字了。A lockdown 就是所有人和車輛都不能出入某區;封鎖並不是用時間衡量的。超過一星期的突襲封區(ambush lockdowns),只找到極少數感染新冠肺炎的人。中譯:七刻

        mickchug@gmail.com

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        
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