又中又英 | Eyebrow - raising | 褚簡寧

　　US President Donald Trump loves making eye-popping news. He has made eye-popping news daily since becoming president again on January 20. But recent White House announcements made more than just eye-popping news. Some American TV channels described the announcements as eyebrow-raising. Eye-popping news means surprising, shocking, or impressive news. Eyebrows are the line of hair above a person's eyes. If something raises eyebrows, it means it causes shock or surprise. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller raised eyebrows when he said the Trump Administration may suspend the writ of habeas corpus to speed up deportation of illegal immigrants.

　　Habeas corpus is a common law process in the US Constitution. It gives everyone, including illegal immigrants, the legal right to challenge being detained or jailed by the government. It can only be suspended during an invasion or rebellion, and only by the Congress, not the president. That's why legal experts raised eyebrows at Miller's threat. Trump raised eyebrows when he appointed Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the interim top US federal prosecutor in Washington DC. Her appointment adds to a whole slew of Fox News personalities Trump has appointed, including talk show host Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary.

　　The expression “a whole slew of" means numerous. But Trump raised the most eyebrows when he said he would accept a US$400 million Boeing 747 plane from Qatar to use as Air Force One. The plane, which has been described as a flying palace with gold-coloured decorations, nine bathrooms with showers, bedrooms, and offices, will go to his planned Trump Library when he leaves office. This means he can keep it for personal use. The US Constitution strictly forbids a president from accepting gifts from foreign kings, princes, and other leaders. I foresee a court challenge by Trump’s critics.

　　美國總統當勞．特朗普喜愛製造令人吃驚得眼凸的新聞（eye-popping news）。自他1月20日再度就任總統以來，每一天也在製造令人吃驚的新聞（eye-popping news）。然而，最近白宮的宣布，就不但是令人吃驚得眼凸的新聞（eye-popping news）了，一些美國電視頻道形容，這些公告簡直令人驚訝得蹙眉（eyebrow-raising）。Eye-popping news是指令人意外、震驚或印象深刻的新聞。Eyebrows是眼眉，若某事raises eyebrows，意即它令人驚訝、側目。當白宮副幕僚長史提芬．米勒說，特朗普政府或要暫停人身保護令（the writ of habeas corpus），以加快遣返非法移民時，就令許多人側目蹙眉（raised eyebrows）。

　　Habeas corpus是美國憲法的一個普通法司法程序，它賦予任何人，包括非法移民，去挑戰政府拘留或囚禁的法律權利。只有在國家被入侵又或叛亂時期，以及只有通過國會而非總統，這個法令才有機會被中止。因此，法律專家們都對米勒的威嚇側目蹙眉（raised eyebrows）。當特朗普任命霍士新聞主播珍妮．皮羅為華盛頓特區的臨時聯邦檢察官時，亦令人側目蹙眉（raised eyebrows）。她的就任為特朗普那大量的（a whole slew of）霍士新聞派系人事任命再添一員，包括他任命皮特．海格塞斯為國防部長。

　　習語a whole slew of意即無數、大量的。但特朗普最令人驚訝蹙眉（raised the most eyebrows）的，是他說他會接納卡塔爾價值4億美元的波音747飛機作為空軍一號。這架飛機被形容為飛行宮殿，有金色的裝飾、9個連淋浴的廁所、睡房和辦公室，而當他離職後飛機會落到他計劃中的特朗普圖書館，這就意味着他可以保留它作私人用途。美國憲法嚴令禁止總統收受外國國王、王子或其他領袖的餽贈。我能預見由特朗普的批評者所提出的司法挑戰。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻