lousy track record

2019/01/17 04:12:30 網誌分類: 生活

17 Jan

        　　Hong Kong has a lousy track record in preserving its history. Places such as Penang, Singapore, and Macau have a much better track record in preserving their historical past. A city’s historical past is a bridge to its future. Our government, before and after reunification, demolished (tore down) many British colonial-style buildings to sell the land to developers. I went to Macau several weeks ago after not having gone in years. It is now overrun with mainland tourists but the Portuguese colonial-style buildings are still there.

        　　Your track record is all your past successes or failures. The word “overrun” used this way means to spread over or occupy a place with a large number of people. Two weeks ago, I went to the newly-opened Tai Kwun Heritage Center in Central. Tai Kwun means “Big Station”. The center used to be the old Central Police Station, Central Magistracy, and Victoria Prison. The government had asked the Jockey Club to preserve the historical site as a heritage center. The Jockey Club proposed a tall and ugly building on the site but after a public outcry (angry disapproval), it preserved all 16 historical buildings.

        　　Although Hong Kong has a lousy track record in preserving its history, I was very impressed with the Tai Kwun Heritage Center. When I lived in Central, I had a full view of the historical site and saw it being transformed (changed) into a heritage center. I had opposed putting two new low-rise buildings on the site, but now feel the Jockey Club has put them to good use. When I visited the center, I was surprised all the staff spoke good English. The Jockey Club has done a good job preserving the police station, magistracy, and Victoria Prison cells. There are even displays of what food prisoners ate. My only gripe (complaint) is the center has mostly expensive upmarket restaurants. The Jockey Club should have included a cooked food stall, or dai pai dong, area.

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        　　香港在保育歷史方面的往績（track record）實在是糟糕得可以。像檳城、新加坡和澳門這些地方，保存其過往歷史的往績（track record）就要好得多。一個城市過去的歷史，是通往未來的橋梁。我們的政府，不論回歸前或後，都拆卸了（demolished）很多富英國殖民特色的建築，以賣地的形式給了地產發展商。我多年沒去過澳門，幾個星期前去了一趟。它現在充斥着（overrun）內地遊客，但葡萄牙殖民時代的特色建築現今仍屹立在那兒。

        　　你的track record就是你過往所有成功與失敗的記錄。Overrun在這裏是指有大量的人橫行或佔據一個地方。兩個星期前，我去了中環那個新開的大館古蹟及藝術館。大館是指「大型的差館（警察總部）」。大館曾經是舊中區警署、前中央裁判司署及前域多利監獄。政府委託賽馬會將這個歷史遺址保育成古蹟中心。馬會曾建議在那裏起一棟高而醜陋的建築物，但經過公眾的強烈抗議（outcry）後，最終保存了全部十六棟的歷史建築。

        　　即使香港在保存歷史方面的往績（track record）差劣，我對於大館古蹟中心卻是刮目相看。當我還住在中環時，可以觀看這個歷史遺址的全貌，更看著它轉變成（transformed）古蹟中心。我曾反對那兩座新建的低矮建築物，但現在感覺賽馬會好好善用了它們。參觀大館時，我對於所有職員都能說流利英語而感到很意外。賽馬會在保存警署、裁判司署和域多利監倉方面做得很好；那兒甚至展示了從前囚犯會吃的東西呢。我唯一的牢騷（gripe）就是中心大部份的食肆都屬貴價的高端餐廳，馬會好應把熟食中心或大排檔包括在內。

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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