又中又英｜Sticker Shock

Every time I return to HK, I am struck dumb by how expensive it has become. One of the first things I do when I arrive in Hong Kong is put one or two thousand dollars into my Octopus card for transportation and supermarket shopping. But the one or two thousand dollars seem to vanish into thin air after just several visits to the supermarket. I get sticker shock whenever I look at prices in supermarkets and restaurants. Before my recent return to Hong Kong, I was in Taipei for two months. Money in Taiwan goes a long way compared to Hong Kong.

If you are struck dumb, it means you are so shocked or surprised that you can hardly talk. To vanish into thin air means to disappear completely. To get sticker shock means to be surprised or shocked by the high price of something. If money goes a long way, it means you only need to spend a little of it to buy a lot. While in Taipei, I took a friend to a high-end Italian restaurant for dinner. We had a large salad, a large shrimp pizza, and shrimp pasta to share. The bill was just about HK$250.

A similar dinner at a high-end Italian restaurant in Hong Kong would cost about three times that. Money also goes a long way in Taiwan supermarkets. I was pleasantly surprised when I first went to the high-end supermarket in the shopping mall below my Taipei serviced apartment. I bought a bottle of single malt whiskey, cereal, fruit, milk, lettuce, and potato chips. It cost less than HK$300!

每一次回到香港，這裏的物價飛升得有多高，都把我嚇得啞口無言（struck dumb）。我抵港首先做的其中一件事，就是放一二百元進八達通卡，作為交通和超市購物之用。但我只是去了幾次超市，那一二百元便已煙消雲散（vanish into thin air）。每次我看着超市和餐廳的價錢牌，都會得到「價格衝擊」（sticker shock）。最近這次回港前，我待在台北兩個月。對比香港，在台灣的錢就很夠用（goes a long way）。

若你是 struck dumb，那即是你震驚得啞口無言。To vanish into thin air就是消失得無影無蹤。To get sticker shock的意思是對於價格高昂感到震驚。若money goes a long way，它的意思是你只花很少的錢便能買到很多東西。在台北的時候，我帶了一個朋友去高檔的意大利餐廳吃晚飯。我們叫了一大碟沙律、一個大的蝦薄餅，以及一個蝦意大利麵，最後埋單也不過250港元。

要在香港的高檔意大利餐廳吃這樣的一餐，可要三倍的價錢了。一丁點錢也能在台灣超市花很久（goes a long way）。在台北我住的服務式住宅，樓下商場有間高檔次的超市，我第一次賺物的時候很驚喜，因為我買了一瓶單一麥芽威士忌、穀物早餐、水果、牛奶、生菜和薯片，總額也不用300港元！

mickchug@gmail.com
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻