又中又英 | Christmas is closing in fast | 褚簡寧

　　Halloween is behind us. Christmas is closing in fast. If something is closing in fast, it means it is approaching very quickly. I have said before that Christmas is my favourite festival. Halloween is fun, especially for kids, but it ranks below Thanksgiving, Lunar New Year, and Diwali, the Indian New Year, for me. When I lived in the US, my former wife and I always put a big basket of candy by the door of our house on Halloween. Kids in Halloween costumes went from door to door in the evening to say trick or treat.

　　This means that they'll play a trick on you unless you give them a treat. The word "treat" used this way means something sweet, such as candy. We always put candy in the containers of the kids who say trick or treat when they come to our door. It is impossible to do trick or treat in Hong Kong because most people live in high rise apartments. Hongkongers in Halloween costumes line up to get into Lan Kwai Fong. I went there several times without a Halloween costume when I lived in Central. I have never worn a Halloween costume and wouldn't be caught dead wearing one.

　　If you say you wouldn't be caught dead doing something, it means you will never do it. I saw on the internet US celebrities wearing all kinds of expensive Halloween costumes. It made me wonder if people will reuse their Halloween costumes. Kids may but I don't think adults will. I hope they will donate them or sell them and give the money to charity. Please don't just throw them away.

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　　萬聖節已過，聖誕節正closing in fast－－若某事is closing in fast，意即它很快來臨，迅速地逼近。我從前也說過，聖誕是我最喜歡的節日。萬聖節很好玩，尤其對小孩來說，但於我而言，它的排名低於感恩節、農曆新年，以及排燈節，就是印度的新年。我住美國的時候，萬聖節時我前妻和我會在家門前放一籃糖果。穿着萬聖節裝束的小孩會在晚上挨家挨戶去說trick or treat。

　　這句話的意思是，他們會捉弄你，除非你給他們一個 treat。 Treat在這裏是指一些甜的東西，例如糖果。當小孩過來我們家門前說「不給糖就搗蛋」（trick or treat）時，我們總會在小孩的容器中放糖果。在香港要做「不給糖就搗蛋」（trick or treat）是不可能的，因為大多數人住在高樓大廈裏。穿着萬聖節服飾的香港人，會排隊進入蘭桂坊。我以前住中環的時候，也曾好幾次去那裏，但沒有任何萬聖節的打扮。我從未試過任何萬聖節的打扮，亦打死（caught dead）不會那樣裝扮。

　　若你說你 wouldn't be caught dead doing something，意即你死也不願意做某事。我在網上見到一些美國名人穿着各式各樣昂貴的萬聖節衣着。這令我思忖，人們會否重用他們的萬聖節服裝？小孩子會，但我不認為大人會。我希望他們會捐出去，又或者賣了它，再將錢捐給慈善團體。請不要隨便丟棄這些衣飾吧。

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻