Somebody has gone GAGA

2021/08/10 04:13:08 網誌分類: 生活

10 Aug

        　　All of a sudden, legions of new-found fans have gone gaga over Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. TVB reporter Kelly Chan Yeuk-lam, who was the first to ask a question at the post-match media conference, became so gaga over Cheung that she didn't ask proper questions. Instead, she said "I like you so much. What should I do?" Netizens slammed (criticized) her unprofessional behavior. She later apologized. The noun "legion" means a large group of soldiers who form a part of an army. The word was used to describe a unit of the ancient Roman army.

        　　But the word "legion" can also mean a large number of people. The expression "legions of fans" means a large number of fans. If you say your grandfather has gone "gaga" it means he is no longer able to think clearly because of old age. But the word can also be used to describe people who behave in a silly and excited way because they have a strong but usually temporary love for someone. Many Hong Kong people, especially young women, have gone gaga over the local boy band Mirror. Is it a fad or does it have staying power? We have to wait and see. The word "fad" means a new style or activity that is fashionable for a short time.

        　　If you have staying power it means you have the strength and determination to continue to do something very difficult. If something, such as a new slang word, has staying power, it means it is not just a fad and people will use it for a long time. After Cheung's Olympics victory many Hong Kong people started learning fencing. One newspaper headline used the French expression "en garde" to describe this. It means "on guard" in English and is used to ask fencers to be ready or be in a defensive position for the match to start. Is the new interest in fencing a fad or does it have staying power?

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        　　突然之間，有大量（legions）新冒起的粉絲，狂熱迷上了（gaga）剛在東京奧運贏取金牌的香港劍擊手張家朗。率先在賽後記者會問張家朗問題的無線記者陳約臨，對他神魂顛倒（gaga）得未能恰當地發問，反而在說：「我好鍾意你呀，點算呀？」網民狠批（slammed）她表現不專業，她後來道歉。名詞legion是指由一大批士兵組成的軍隊，以前多是用來形容古羅馬軍團。

        　　但legion也可以指大批的人，習語 "legions of fans" 即指大量的粉絲、擁躉。若你說你的祖父has gone "gaga"，意即他因為年事已高，變得老糊塗，不能清晰地思考了。但這個字也可以用來形容人因對某人有強烈但通常短暫的癡迷，而舉止行徑瘋狂或過度興奮。許多香港人，尤其是年輕女士，都給本地男子組合MIRROR迷倒了（gaga）。這是否只是一時的fad，抑或會有staying power？我們就要拭目以待了。Fad可解一時的風尚或潮流，只是短暫流行。

        　　若你有staying power，意即你有持久力、有耐力和決心去持續做一樣困難的事。若某事物，例如一個新的俚語有staying power，那即是說那不是一時的潮流（fad），人們會長時間使用它。在張於奧運取得勝利後，許多香港人也開始去學劍擊運動。一個新聞標題用了法文習語 "en garde" 去形容這個現象，它的意思即英語的 "on guard"，是叫劍擊手準備好，又或叫他們做好防守的姿勢，讓比賽得以開始。這個對於劍擊新崛起的興趣，是否只是曇花一現的潮流（fad），抑或是有持久力（staying power）的呢？mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯：七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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