又中又英 | Cavalier attitude | 褚簡寧
In a previous column, I wrote about my recent visit to Hong Kong where I often saw vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings during a green light for pedestrians. The blocking made it difficult for pedestrians to cross before the light turned red. This cavalier attitude by vehicle drivers is most acute in busy areas such as Central and on Nathan Road in the Yau-Tsim-Mong district. I saw vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings numerous times during my recent Hong Kong visit. Many people, including me, were often unable to finish crossing before the light turned red.
If you have a cavalier attitude, it means you don't care about the safety or feelings of other people. The cavalier attitudes of drivers who block pedestrian crossings fly in the face of traffic rules. The expression “fly in the face of” means to completely ignore or oppose what is sensible or normal, such as rules or logic. Several readers responded to my previous column, which also discussed jaywalking in addition to vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings. A jaywalker is a pedestrian who ignores traffic rules by crossing a road illegally.
One reader said Hong Kong has so many jaywalkers because the green light for pedestrians is too short compared to the very long green light for vehicles. He said pedestrians become impatient and jaywalk. I agree with him. I have written about this unfairness many times in recent years. But it seems the Transport Department doesn't give a hoot about pedestrians. If you don't give a hoot, it means you don't care. The Transport Department only cares about smooth traffic.
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在之前一篇文章裏，我寫到我最近回香港，不時見到車輛在行人綠燈的時候，阻塞斑馬線。這樣停車阻塞令行人難於在交通燈轉紅前過馬路。車輛駕駛者的這種傲慢態度（cavalier attitude），在繁忙地區如中環或油尖旺區的彌敦道尤甚。我最近返港，就有無數次見過有車輛阻塞行人斑馬線。許多人，包括我，都時時難以在交通燈轉紅前過完馬路。
若你有cavalier attitude，意即你不大理會安全或他人感受。那些阻擋行人斑馬線的司機們的漫不經心（cavalier attitudes），實在是公然違反（fly in the face of）交通規則。習語 fly in the face of是指完全漠視或違背一樣合理或正常的事，例如法規或邏輯。有幾位讀者回應了我之前那篇討論亂過馬路（jaywalking）以至車輛停在斑馬線上的文章。A jaywalker就是無視交通規則，違規亂過馬路的人。
一位讀者說，香港有那麼多亂過馬路的人（jaywalkers），因為相對於給車輛駛過的超長時間綠燈，給行人過馬路的綠燈時長實在太短了。他說，行人因而變得沒耐性而衝紅燈（jaywalk）。我認同他的說法。我近年已多次寫過這種不公平的狀況。可是，運輸署似乎一點也不在乎（doesn't give a hoot）行人。若你don't give a hoot，意即你毫不在乎。運輸署只關心流暢的車流。
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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻
