To take someone to task

2016/03/17 08:41:25 網誌分類: 生活

17 Mar

         What exactly does middle class mean? Three years ago, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah was lampooned for saying he belonged to the middle class even though he earns over $300,000 a month, lives in a big mansion paid for by taxpayers and has a government car with a chauffeur (driver). To lampoon means to publicly criticize or insult well-known people in a funny way to make them look stupid. Political cartoonists often lampoon politicians for saying stupid things. In my column two weeks ago, I criticized Tsang Chun-wah for helping mostly the middle class in his budget. I have lampooned him before for saying he belonged to the middle class and lampooned him again two weeks ago.

        　　Last week, I received a letter from an anonymous reader who took me to task for my column two weeks ago. An anonymous reader is a reader who does not give his name. Some rich people like to be anonymous by not giving their names when they donate to charity. To take someone to task means to scold or criticize that person. I do not know if the anonymous reader who sent me a letter last week is male or female. The letter had no name or address. This reader has sent me letters before in colourful self-made envelopes. The reader said Tsang Chun-wah is not a very rich man and so people should not lampoon him for saying he is middle class. The reader also claimed to be middle class despite making $500,000 a month and living in a $30 million flat.

        　　According to the Pew Research Centre, Americans who earn between HK$27,300 and $81,250 a month are middle class. A report by CNN said economists described Americans earning up to HK$91,650 a month as middle class. When Barack Obama first became president in 2009, he defined middle class Americans as those who owned a home, a car, could retire comfortably, and could afford university education for their children. Tsang Chun-wah has all that. But how many Hong Kong people nowadays can afford a home, a car, comfortable retirement, and a university education for their children?

         到底中產（middle class）是指甚麼？三年前，財政司司長曾俊華被嘲諷（lampooned），因為他說他也屬於中產（middle class），即使他月入超過三十萬，住在納稅人付錢的大屋裏，有由司機（chauffeur）駕駛的政府座駕代步。 To lampoon 意思是公開嘲諷名人，令他們看起來更愚笨。政客說了甚麼蠢話時，政治漫畫家也不時加以嘲諷（lampoon）。在兩個星期前的專欄中，我批評曾俊華在預算案中偏幫中產（middle class）。他從前說他屬於中產時，我已經嘲諷（lampooned）過他，兩星期前又再嘲諷（lampooned）他。

        　　上星期，我收到一封匿名（anonymous）讀者來函，就兩星期前的專欄責難（took me to task）我。An anonymous reader 就是匿名的讀者。有些有錢人捐錢做慈善的時候喜歡匿名（anonymous）。To take someone to task意思是責備或責難某人。我不知道那位寄信給我的讀者是男或女，信上沒有附姓名或地址。這位讀者從前也曾用色彩繽紛的自製信封寄過信件給我。那位讀者說，曾俊華並非大富大貴，因此人們不應因為他自稱為中產（middle class）而嘲諷（lampoon）他。這位讀者也自稱為中產（middle class），即使他月入五十萬，住在三千萬元的樓房中。

        　　根據皮尤研究中心，月入介乎港幣$27,300到 $81,250的美國人就屬於中產（middle class）。 CNN報道指，經濟學家形容，月入不多於港幣$91,650的美國人就算為中產（middle class）。當奧巴馬2009年首度就任總統時，他將中產（middle class）美國人定義為有樓、有車、可以安舒地退休，也能負擔得起子女的大學教育。以上所說的，曾俊華全都有。但今時今日，試問又有幾多香港人可以負擔得起一層樓、一輛車、安舒的退休生活，還有子女的大學教育？Michael Chugani褚簡寧

        中譯：七刻

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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