A Bad Rap

2018/05/15 04:12:34 網誌分類: 生活

15 May

         Why does Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po always get a bad rap？ Some sections of the Hong Kong media give him a bad rap even when he doesn't deserve it. The American slang expression 「bad rap」 means unfair or unjustified criticism that gives a person a bad reputation. The slang expression 「bum rap」 means the same thing. I got a bum rap recently after some netizens and commentators criticized me for trying to help an elderly lady get a seat on a crowded MTR train. A netizen is a person who spends a lot of time on the internet. Chan Mo-po got several bad raps recently in sections of the media that are always critical of him， whatever he does.

         He got a bad rap last month for using the financial secretary」s official car， which is red in color， to attend the funeral of a senior police constable. His critics crucified him for using a red car to attend a funeral， accusing him of showing disrespect. The verb 「crucify」 means to put a person to death by nailing or tying his hands and feet to a cross. For example， Jesus was crucified. But when used this way， it means to strongly criticize someone. Chan Mo-po did not choose a red-colored car as the financial secretary」s car. He inherited the red car from his predecessor John Tsang Chun-wah.

         If you receive money or property from your parents or relatives when they pass away， you can say you inherited the money or property. But if you are left with something， such as a problem or an object， from a predecessor， you can also say you inherited it. I am sure the sections of the media that always criticize Chan Mo-po would not have criticized Tsang Chun-wah if he had used the same red car to attend a funeral. Chan Mo-po was also criticized when his driver used a bus-only lane even though all senior government officials are allowed to use bus-only lanes. His predecessor had the same right. But politicians and officials such as Chan Mo-po are fair game. The expression 「fair game」 means people you are allowed to criticize， even unfairly.

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        　　為何財政司司長總是有着壞名聲（bad rap）？有部份香港傳媒會給他不公的評價（bad rap），即使那不是他應得的。美式俚語「bad rap」意思是不公的批評，令某人有不好的名聲；俚語「bum rap」的意思也是一樣。我最近就得到了不公的指責（bum rap），有些網民（netizens）和時評人批評我在繁忙的港鐵車廂上嘗試幫助一位老婆婆找座位。A netizen就是花很多時間上網的網民。陳茂波最近在部份傳媒中得到好些不公的評價（bad raps），那些傳媒不論他做甚麼，都對他甚為挑剔。

        　　他上個月坐財爺專車出席一名高級警員的喪禮，因為官車是紅色的，又得到了莫須有的罪名（bad rap）。批評者痛斥（crucified）他用紅色座駕出席喪禮，指責他表現不敬。動詞 crucify是將人釘或縛上十字架至死，例如耶穌就是被釘十字架至死的（crucified）。但在這裏用，意思就是嚴厲批評某人。陳茂波並沒有選擇紅色座駕為財政司司長的專車，他只是從前任的曾俊華那裏接手（inherited）這輛紅車。

        　　若你的父母或親戚過身，你從他們那裏繼承了遺產，你便可以說你 inherited那遺產。但當前任給你遺下了些事物或爛攤子，你也可以說你是inherited了那些東西。倘若換了是曾俊華坐著同一輛紅車出席喪禮，我敢肯定那些經常批評陳茂波的傳媒不會批評曾。陳茂波的司機把車駛進了巴士專線，陳亦備受批評，即使所有政府高官都獲得許可證，可使用巴士專線。他的前任也有相同的權利。然而，政客和官員，諸如陳茂波，都是 fair game。習語「fair game」是指可批評或攻擊的對象，即使是不公道的批評。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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