Dodgy Dave
2016/04/21 08:41:27 網誌分類: 生活
Dennis Skinner of Britain’s opposition Labour Party is a Member of Parliament (MP for short). During a debate in Parliament last week, he called British Prime Minister David Cameron “dodgy Dave” because the so-called Panama Papers revealed he had made a profit from a fund his father had owned in Panama to avoid tax. The word “dodge” means to avoid something. The word “dodgy” has several meanings but used this way it means dishonest. The Speaker asked Dennis Skinner to withdraw the word “dodgy” from his question to David Cameron. The Speaker is the person who controls the discussions in a legislature in a fair way. The Speaker in Hong Kong’s legislature is Tsang Yok-sing but he is called the president instead and the chairman in Chinese. The word “withdraw” used this way means to remove, take away, or take back.
British Parliament rules do not allow members to insult each other but Dennis Skinner refused to withdraw the word “dodgy” and used it again to accuse David Cameron of being dishonest. The Speaker ordered Dennis Skinner to leave. He immediately obeyed and left quietly. This is the difference between the Hong Kong and British legislatures. In Hong Kong, Legco members throw things and insult each other all the time. They never obey Tsang Yok-sing’s orders to leave. Security guards often have to use force to carry them out. Hong Kong’s Legco should learn from the British Parliament where MPs use words instead of throwing things to make their point.
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上星期，我在電視新聞上看到一些片段，令我想到英國國會與香港立法會的重大差異。英國國會與香港立法會也同樣是立法機關（legislatures）。 Legislature 就是立法機關，負責通過法例和修例。美國的立法機關（legislature）就叫作 the Congress。在民主社會的立法機關（legislatures）中，所有議員都是民選的，但香港立法會的七十名議員中，只有四十名是由人民直接選出的，其餘三十名則由不同的組別間接選出。
英國反對黨工黨的丹尼斯．斯金納，就是一名國會議員。上星期在國會的一場辯論中，他叫英國首相大衛．卡梅倫為「dodgy Dave」，因為巴拿馬文件揭示，他從父親在巴拿馬所設的基金中獲利，從而逃稅。 Dodge 的意思是迴避某事， dodgy則有幾個意思，這裏是指不誠實、不可靠。議長（Speaker）叫丹尼斯．斯金納在他向卡梅倫提問的問題中撤回（withdraw）「dodgy」這個字。 The Speaker就是在立法機關（legislatures）中，公平地控制議論流程的議長，香港立法會的 Speaker是曾鈺成，但他被稱為 president，中文叫主席。Withdraw 在這裏的意思是撤銷、撤走或撤回。
英國國會的規則並不容許議員互相侮辱，但丹尼斯．斯金納拒絕撤回（withdraw）「dodgy」這個字，再度用它來控訴卡梅倫不誠實。議長（Speaker）便下令丹尼斯．斯金納離開。他立即服從，靜靜地離場。這就是香港與英國立法機關（legislatures）的分別。在香港，立法會議員常常擲物、互相侮辱，卻從不遵從曾鈺成的命令而離開，保安不時要用武力帶他們走。香港的立法會應學效英國國會，議員會用言詞而非擲物來表達意見。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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