gulping down
Friends have asked me if I miss Hong Kong. I tell them living in Manhattan is a blast but I pine for Hong Kong. That sounds like complicated English but it's actually really simple. The expression“a blast”has many meanings. It can mean a bomb explosion but used this way it means having a good time. You can have a blast at a party. It means you are having a good time. I am having a blast living in Manhattan because the air is fresh, New York City is exciting, and Central Park is out of this world. If something is out of this world it means it's extremely enjoyable or exciting.
For me, it's out of this world to eat New York-style pizzas. Aside from Italy, nowhere makes better pizzas than New York City. There is a take-out restaurant in Times Square that sells a large slice of pizza for 99 cents. That's less than HK$8. I have seen crowds of people standing there gulping down pizzas. If you gulp down something it means you eat it very quickly or hungrily. I love pizzas but hate gulping down food. My stomach cannot deal with it. Readers may know I love martinis. But when I eat a pizza I usually have red wine. Food experts say martinis are a no-no with a pizza although I think people should do what they like. If something is a no-no it means it's unsuitable or unacceptable.
I will now explain the expression“pine for”. This is an interesting expression especially because it's almost Christmas. There are many types of Christmas trees. A pine tree is one of them. But the expression “pine for” something has a totally different meaning. If I pine for something it means I miss it a lot and wish I could be there again. I pine for（miss）Hong Kong, where I was born. I will return to visit family and friends when the three-week quarantine is lifted.
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朋友們問我，可有掛念香港？我告訴他們，住在曼哈頓確實是a blast，但我亦pine for香港。它們聽來是很複雜的英語，但其實再簡單不過。習語（a blast）有許多意思，它可以指一個炸彈爆炸，但在這裏則指玩得很盡興、痛快，度過了美好的時光。你可以have a blast at a party，意即你在派對上很盡興、狂歡了一場。我住在曼哈頓的日子過得很歡快（a blast），因為這裏空氣清新，紐約市很有趣，中央公園更是 out of this world——若某事物是out of this world，意即它好得無與倫比、宛如仙境。
對我來說，紐約風的薄餅亦是「只應天上有」（out of this world）的那麼美味。除意大利以外，世上再沒有哪個地方做的薄餅可以媲美紐約市的了。在紐約時代廣場那邊，有一間外賣店，一片大薄餅只賣九毫九，即不用八港元！我曾見過一大群人站在那裏 gulping down薄餅——若你gulp down某物，意即你狼吞虎嚥、大口大口地吃下食物。我喜愛吃薄餅，但討厭狼吞虎嚥（gulping down），我的胃可不能應付這樣快速的吞嚥食物。各位讀者也知道，我喜愛馬天尼，但當我吃薄餅的時候，通常都會喝紅酒。飲食專家們說，馬天尼配薄餅絕對是no-no，雖然我認為人們應該喜歡甚麼便做甚麼。若某事物是 no-no，意即那是不合適或不可接受的。
讓我現在解釋習語“pine for”吧。這是一個有趣的習語，尤其現在臨近聖誕。聖誕樹品種有很多，松樹（pine tree）就是其中一種；但習語“pine for” something卻有着截然不同的意思。若我pine for something，即是說我非常想念、渴望某事物，希望能重遇它，或重踏故土。我非常想念（pine for）香港——我出生的地方。當三周隔離檢疫措施撤銷之時，我便會回港看望親友。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧