“gather momentum”
2016/08/25 08:41:21 網誌分類: 生活
The government does not know how to handle the independence problem. It is, therefore, at a loss as to how to handle it. But if your business is not making any profit, you can also say your business is operating at a loss. Some teachers and student groups want to discuss the issue of Hong Kong independence in classrooms. But the government has warned teachers that advocating independence to students is against the Basic Law. To advocate something means to publicly support, recommend, or promote a policy or idea. The government has said teachers and students can discuss Hong Kong independence only after accepting that independence is impossible and against the Basic Law.
There is a fine line between advocating independence in schools and discussing it. The expression “fine line” means a very small difference or a very thin line. But a new group of secondary school students called Studentlocalism is determined to advocate independence in schools. I did not know whether to laugh or cry when the convenor of Studentlocalism Tony Chung Hon-lam said an independent Hong Kong would conscript people into the army to defend Hong Kong. To conscript means to force people by law to join the military. Singapore conscripts all male citizens to join the military or police for two years. But Chung Hon-lam must be dreaming if he thinks Hong Kong people will agree to be conscripted into the military.
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顯而易見，在年輕一群當中，支持香港獨立的勢頭正日益壯大（gaining momentum）。政府對於要怎樣阻止支持獨立的勢頭更為壯大（gaining momentum），亦是茫無頭緒（at a loss），這也很明顯。習語gaining momentum可以有幾個用法。若一架火車正在加速，那可以說it is gaining momentum；但若某事物愈來愈受歡迎，你也可以說it is gaining momentum。在年輕人中間，支持香港獨立的氣勢正日益高漲（gaining momentum）。習語gather momentum也是同樣的意思。若你正在at a loss，意即你對當下的處境感到很茫然，不知如何是好。
政府完全不知道該怎樣去處理這個港獨的問題，因此，它正at a loss as to how to handle it。但若你的生意虧本，你也可以說 your business is operating at a loss。有些老師和學生組織想在課堂上討論香港獨立的議題，政府卻在警告老師們，向學生提倡（advocating）獨立，是違反《基本法》的。To advocate something就是公開地支持、主張或宣揚一個政策或想法。政府已表明，老師和學生只能在認同獨立是不可能和違反《基本法》之後，才可加以討論港獨。
在校內宣揚（advocating）獨立抑或只作討論，二者之間有很微妙的界綫（fine line）。習語fine line意指很輕微的差別或是很幼小的綫。但一個名為「學生動源」的中學生新組織，矢志要在校內提倡（advocate）獨立。當學生動源的召集人鍾翰林說，獨立的香港會徵召（conscript）香港人入伍以保衞香港，我真是啼笑皆非。To conscript就是強制徵召入伍，新加坡就徵召（conscripts）所有男性公民要入伍或加入警隊，服役兩年。但若鍾翰林認為香港人會同意應徵入伍（conscripted）服兵役，未免太異想天開了。
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
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