又中又英 | Boardwalk | 褚簡寧

　　Strolling along a boardwalk with a view of the ocean lifts my spirits. I like boardwalk walks on pleasant summer days and cold winter days. I bundle up for boardwalk walks in winter. Promenade walks with city, mountain, or sea views are also enjoyable. If something lifts your spirits, it means it makes you cheerful. To bundle up means to wear a thick coat, scarf, gloves, and hat on very cold days. I sometimes went for boardwalk walks when I lived in the US.

　　The Atlantic City boardwalk in New Jersey, and the Ocean City boardwalk in Maryland, are among the best in the US. I have been to both. The Hong Kong government has finally opened the Eastern section of the harbourfront walk. It is the last section of the 13 km (8-mile) harbourfront walk linking Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, which took 16 years to plan and build. I have been to the Kennedy Town part and some other sections. I intend to walk the new section when I am in Hong Kong later this month.

　　Hong Kong’s English-language media and the government’s English press release described the Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan harbourfront walk as a boardwalk. That is, strictly speaking, incorrect. A boardwalk is a path made of wooden boards built along a beach or seaside. The 13 km Hong Kong harbourfront walk does not have wooden boards. It is more accurately described as a promenade. A promenade is a paved walkway, usually but not always, along a waterfront. A boardwalk is a type of promenade, but the Hong Kong promenade is not a real boardwalk because it doesn’t have wooden boards.

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　　在木板散步道（boardwalk）上漫步，觀賞海洋景致，總能令我精神一振（lifts my spirits）。我喜愛在舒適宜人的夏日與冷酷的冬日在板道（boardwalk）上散步。冬天在板道（boardwalk）上散步，我會穿厚衣，將自己包得緊緊的（bundle up）。在步道上（promenade）散步，不論旁邊是城市、山間抑或臨海的風景，盡皆令人心曠神怡。若某事物lifts your spirits，意即它令你愉快、精神振奮。To bundle up即在寒冷的天氣，將保暖的厚褸、圍巾、手套和帽都穿上。我住美國的時候，有時會去板道（boardwalk）漫步。

　　新澤西州大西洋城的木板散步道（boardwalk），以及馬利蘭州大洋城的木板散步道（boardwalk），都是美國最佳板道之二。我兩個都有到訪過。香港政府終於開放海濱板道的東岸段了，它是連接堅尼地城至筲箕灣，長13公里（8英里）海濱步道的最後一段，整個步道由策劃至建成歷時16年。我去過堅尼地城一段，以及其他好幾段。我計劃今月尾在香港時，到新的路段上走走。

　　香港的英文媒體以及政府的英文新聞稿，都將堅尼地城至筲箕灣海濱步道稱為boardwalk。這嚴格來說並不正確。A boardwalk是在海灘或海旁以木板建成的小路，而香港這13公里的海濱長廊並沒有木板，更準確的形容應是promenade。A promenade就是鋪好的步道，不是所有但大部分都建在海旁。Boardwalk是promenade的一種，然而香港的promenade卻不是真正的boardwalk，因為它沒有木板。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻