又中又英 | Different strokes for different folks | 褚簡寧
Cities such as New York, London, Sydney, and Hong Kong have a large variety of restaurants serving different types of cuisine. People can choose Italian, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and other types of food depending on their tastes. Different strokes for different folks. This idiom means different people have different preferences. Simple Cantonese food is what I like the best. I also love pickled ginger, especially the kind served with sushi. A Hong Kong friend who lives in Taipei always buys me a large jar of pickled ginger whenever I visit Taipei, which is where I now am.
He bought me a jar of pickled ginger but said I should eat it with preserved eggs, also known as century eggs, to enhance the taste of ginger. I once tried preserved eggs in Hong Kong. It made me sick. Chicken feet also made me sick when I tried it. My friends sometimes needle me by telling me to eat things such as preserved eggs, snake soup, and chicken feet even though they know I dislike the taste. To needle someone means to tease or irritate that person. I tell them eating those things is a bridge too far for me.
The expression “a bridge too far” means doing something that is too extreme or too ambitious. Some loyalists of US President Donald Trump want to amend the Constitution to allow Trump to serve a third term. Most Americans feel that is a bridge too far. The expression “a step too far” has the same meaning.
像紐約、倫敦、悉尼和香港這些城市，都有各樣的餐廳提供不同類別的菜式。人們可以根據自己的口味，選擇意式、日式、泰式、中式又或其他類別的食物。Different strokes for different folks，這句成語的意思是「鹹魚青菜，各有所愛」，每個人皆有自己的喜好。簡單的廣東菜是我的最愛。我也喜愛醃薑，尤其是壽司旁附帶的那種。每當我到訪台北，就是我現在身處的地方，一位住在台北的香港朋友總是會買一大瓶醃薑給我。
他買了一瓶醃薑給我，但說我必須跟皮蛋，也稱為百年蛋一起吃，才能增強醃薑的風味。我曾在香港嘗過皮蛋，它令我反胃。我試吃鳳爪時也想作嘔。有時我的朋友們就算知道我不喜歡皮蛋、蛇羹和雞腳這些食物，也會叫我去吃，以此來調侃我（needle me）。To needle someone的意思是去逗弄、激怒某人。我告訴他們，吃這些食物對我來說是a bridge too far。
習語a bridge too far是指做某事實在太極端或雄心過大。一些美國總統特朗普的忠實支持者，希望修改美國憲法，以讓特朗普做第三任期總統。大多數美國人也認為這太具野心、太大想頭了（a bridge too far）。習語a step too far也有相同的意思。
[email protected]
Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
