thin blue line

2019/06/27 04:12:46 網誌分類: 生活

27 Jun

        　　Several weeks of protests against the government’s proposed extradition agreement with mainland China have shattered Hong Kong’s thin blue line. Even though Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has suspended the proposed agreement, which will now lapse (expire, die) in the Legislative Council, the protests have shattered the thin blue line too much for it to be easily repaired. Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor suspended the proposed law after millions of people peacefully protested against it but the thin blue line was shattered after a small number of protesters clashed with police. It was further shattered when police arrested some of the protesters as rioters. This caused thousands of young people to surround the police headquarters in Wanchai for many hours, stopping anyone from going in or out.

        　　The expression “thin blue line” is common in the US but rarely used in Hong Kong. It has several meanings. One meaning is that the police represents the thin line that protects society from lawlessness, chaos (complete disorder), and evil. It is called a blue line because blue is the traditional colour of police uniforms. Another meaning is the thin blue line represents the thin line between life and death for policemen who face many dangers every day. It is common in the US to see emblems of a thin blue line on a black background. Some people put the emblems on their cars to show support for the police. The thin blue line on a black background can also be a memorial for police killed while on duty.

        　　To shatter means to suddenly break into small pieces. The recent protests have shattered trust between much of the public and the police. Many young Hong Kong people now feel the police force is their enemy instead of the thin blue line that protects them from evil. It is imperative (essential, very important) for Hong Kong people, politicians and the police to jointly repair the shattered thin blue line. All sides must try to rebuild trust. Society suffers when the people and the police don’t trust each other.

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        　　就着政府提出與內地達成引渡安排，連續多個星期的抗議已然粉碎了（shattered）香港的「細藍線」（thin blue line）。即使特首林鄭月娥暫緩了修例草案，以致草案現將於立法會失效（lapse），連番抗議卻把那條細藍線（thin blue line）粉碎（shattered）得難以修復。數以百萬計的人和平地遊行抗議修例草案後，林鄭月娥便暫緩了草案，但一小部份的示威者與警察發生衝突過後，那條細藍線（thin blue line）已被擊碎（shattered）；而當警方將一些示威者視為暴徒而予以拘捕時，那條線就更為破碎（shattered）。這就導致數以千計的年輕人包圍灣仔警察總部多個小時，阻止任何人出入。

        　　習語thin blue line在美國很常見，香港卻很少用到。它有幾個意思，其中一個意思是警隊代表了保護社會免陷入無法紀、混亂（chaos）與罪惡之中的那道細小的防線。它被稱為藍線，因為藍色是警隊制服的傳統顏色。另一個意思是細藍線（thin blue line）代表了生死間的一線之差，因為警察每天都要面對很多的危險。在美國，黑色背景配上一條細藍線（thin blue line）的圖案亦很常見，有些人會將圖案置於車身上，以表達對警隊的支持。在黑底上加一條細藍線（thin blue line）也可以是悼念警察執勤時殉職。

        　　To shatter就是裂成碎片。最近的示威抗議已經粉碎了（shattered）大部份民眾與警方之間的信任。許多香港年輕人現在感到警隊是他們的敵人，而非保護他們遠離罪惡的細藍線（thin blue line）。當務之急（imperative）是香港人、政客和警方攜手修補這條碎裂了的（shattered）細藍線（thin blue line），各方都要嘗試重新建立互信。人民與警方互不信任，整個社會都受害。

        中譯：七刻

        mickchug@gmail.com

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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