armchair critics

2016/06/30 08:41:23 網誌分類: 生活

30 Jun

         Hong Kong has many?armchair critics?who?second-guess?everything. Other free societies have?armchair critics too. Most of the time?armchair critics?cause no harm by?second-guessing?things but sometimes their criticism can cause harm to others. Nothing can be done about this because it is not illegal to be an?armchair critic?in free societies. An?armchair?is a large and comfortable chair with sides for people sitting in the chair to put their arms. Armchair critics?are people who give advice and criticize others but know nothing about the issue themselves. You can imagine them sitting in their comfortable?armchairs?pretending to be smart but talking nonsense.

        　　The expression “second-guess” has two meanings. It means to guess what someone will do in the future. In American English it also means to criticize a person after that person has already done something. Some armchair critics?have?second-guessed (criticized) the actions of the Fire Services Department which had tried hard to put out a fire that burnt for nearly a week in an old building used for storage in Ngau Tau Kok. I think it is despicable?(shameful, disgraceful, appalling)?for armchair critics?to criticize the Fire Services Department when they know nothing about how to put out fires. Two young fire-fighters have already died in trying to put out the blaze?(fire). They are heroes. When such tragedies happen, society should unite and fully support the fire-fighters instead of?second-guessing?or politicizing the issue.

        　　Some?armchair critics?have criticized the Fire Services Department for sending fire-fighters into the burning building. They said the department should have just let the building burn. Other?armchair critics?said the department should blow up the building or it would?collapse?(suddenly fall down). But senior fire-fighters, who have a lot of experience, said it would be dangerous to nearby buildings to let the fire burn or to blow up the building. They said the building was not in danger of?collapsing. I wish these stupid?armchair critics?would shut up and let fire-fighters do their job instead of harming their morale.

        　　香港有許多空談的批評家（armchair critics），總是在事後孔明（second-guess）。其他的自由社會亦不乏空談的批評家（armchair critics）。大部份的時候，空談批評家（armchair critics）事後孔明（second-guessing）亦無傷大雅，但有時他們的批評也真的會傷害到別人。我們對此卻束手無策，因為在自由社會中當個空談的批評者（armchair critics），可不是犯法的。Armchair就是大而舒適的扶手椅。Armchair critics就是那些人批評和給予建議，自己卻對議題懵然不知，談的盡是不設實際的。你可以想像他們在舒適的扶手椅（armchairs）裏坐着，故作聰明，實質卻在胡說八道。

        　　習語second-guess則有兩個意思。它解作猜測某人將會做的事。在美式英語中，也解作「馬後炮」，在某人已做某事過後才去批評他。消防處努力撲滅牛頭角舊工廈迷你倉那燒了差不多一星期的火警，有些空談的批評者（armchair critics）卻批評（second-guessed）消防處的行動。空談的批評者（armchair critics）自己不曉得怎樣滅火，卻在批評消防處，我認為這是卑劣的（despicable）。兩名年輕的消防員已在滅火（blaze）時殉職。他們是英雄。當有這樣的悲劇發生，社會應當團結一致，全力支持消防員，而非只懂批評（second-guessing）或將事件政治化。

        　　有些空談的批評者（armchair critics）批評消防處送消防員進燃燒中的樓宇。他們說，處方應任由樓宇燃燒。還有空談批評者（armchair critics）說，處方應炸毁那棟樓，不然它就會倒塌（collapse）。然而有資深消防員說，任由火災燃燒或炸毁樓宇，對附近的樓宇都非常危險。他們說，那棟大廈並沒有倒塌（collapsing）的危機。我希望這些愚蠢的空談批評家（armchair critics）會收聲，容讓消防員安心工作，而非損害他們的士氣。中譯：七刻



        　　＊許多讀者提議我在專欄中包含讀音，我的編輯終於找到法子了。由今日開始，我的專欄會加上 QR code，你只須用手機掃描 QR code，就可以聆聽我朗讀專欄的錄音。希望這能幫助大家改善英文字詞的發音。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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