Hong Kong and Singapore are trying hard to outdo each other.

2016/08/30 10:40:25 網誌分類: 生活

30 Aug

         Modern cities around the world all want to outdo each other as smart cities. Hong Kong and Singapore are trying hard to outdo each other as smart cities. The Hong Kong government has spent millions of dollars on a new Innovation and Technology Bureau to make Hong Kong a smart city. But Hong Kong lags behind Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Singapore last week became the world’s first smart city to have driverless taxis. To outdo means to try to be better than. A smart city is a city that has very good infrastructure, environment, and housing. Smart cities must also have very fast internet.

        　　In some ways, a smart city is like a smartphone. A smartphone?can do many of the things that a computer can do. If you lag behind someone, it means you cannot keep up with or are slower than the other person. I live on Chancery Lane in Central, Hong Kong’s business district, yet my internet is so slow it belongs to the Stone Age. The Stone Age?is a prehistoric period when humans used stone to make most things, such as weapons and tools. But you can also use the expression to describe something that is outdated. My internet speed is only six megabits, which is too outdated nowadays. It is so slow I am unable to use online services such as Netflix or myTV SUPER.

        　　None of the telecommunications companies want to put upgraded internet cables on the road where I live. Only PCCW has internet cables there. The road has several high-rise buildings and some older buildings. PCCW’s outdated internet cables can only provide 6 megabits to the residents. The manager of the building where I live told me it will cost PCCW only $30,000 to upgrade but PCCW refuses to do it. PCCW told the manager it doesn’t want to spend money on just a few hundred residents. If Hong Kong wants to be a smart city, the Communications Authority should order the telecommunications companies to serve all areas, not just areas where they can make money. The Communications Authority should take away the licences of companies that refuse.

        ***

        世界各地的現代城市總想超越（outdo）對方，做智能城市（smart cities）。香港和新加坡都在努力超越（outdo）對方，成為智能城市（smart cities）。香港政府在創新科技局上花費過百萬元，要令香港變成智能城市（smart city），可惜香港卻落後（lags）於新加坡、南韓和台灣。新加坡上星期就成為全球首個擁有無人駕駛的士的智能城市（smart city）。To outdo意思就是勝過、超越。A smart city 就是一個擁有良好公共設施、環境與住屋的城市，智能城市（Smart cities）也必須具備快速的電腦網絡。

        　　某程度上，智能城市（smart city）就好比一個智能電話（smartphone），一部智能電話（smartphone）可以做許多電腦能做的工作。若你lag behind someone，意即你落後於人。我住在中環贊善里，位處香港的商務區域，然而我的電腦網絡卻像石器時代（Stone Age）一樣。石器時代（Stone Age）是史前時代，人類以石頭作為工具和武器，但你也可用此習語去形容某事物過時。我的上網速度只有6 Mb，今天來說真是過時得很。這樣慢的速度令我無法使用一些網上服務，例如 Netflix或者 myTV SUPER。

        　　我住的那條路上，沒一間電訊公司願意為上網線路升級，只有香港電訊在那兒設有上網線路。那條路上有幾棟高樓大廈，也有些舊樓。香港電訊的過時網路只能為住戶提供6 Mb的速度。大廈的管理人員跟我說，香港電訊只需要花三萬元就能將之升級，香港電訊卻拒絕這樣做。香港電訊跟那管理人員說，他們不想為那幾百戶居民花錢。若香港想成為智能城市（smart city），通訊事務管理局就應該責令電訊公司要服務所有區域，而非單單服務他們能賺錢的區域。對於拒絕執行的公司，通訊局就該吊銷其牌照。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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Hong Kong and Singapore are trying hard to outdo each other.

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