又中又英——“there’s a Hong Kong sucker born every second”

　　There's a sucker born every minute. Do you know what this means? I remembered this old saying after seeing even toilet paper fly off the shelves in supermarkets. The slang word "sucker" means a gullible person who believes everything he is told. The adjective "gullible" describes people who are easily tricked because they trust other people too much. The expression "there's a sucker born every minute" therefore means there are many gullible people who will believe everything and anything people tell them. The expression "there's a fool born every minute" has the same meaning. If things fly off the shelves, it means people are buying them very quickly.
　　Facemasks, rice, toilet paper, tissues, bleach, and many other things have been flying off the shelves after the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus. What will fly off the shelves next? I am sure it could be salt, vinegar, and whiskey if rumours spread on social media that a hot mixture of these three things can cure people who have the Wuhan virus if they drink it four times a day. Someone sent me a video of how to make two facemasks with a woman's bra by using each cup of the bra and the bra straps as loops for the ears. I only shared it with close friends as a joke. I am sure if I put it on social media, bras will be flying off the shelves. But will gullible people know what cup size to buy?
　　The expression "there is a sucker born every minute" doesn't describe Hong Kong people accurately. It should be "there's a Hong Kong sucker born every second". I can no longer buy toilet paper, rice, bleach, tissues, and paper towels. They have all flown off the shelves. Suckers have bought far more than they can use because they are gullible people who believe rice and other things will soon be unavailable. I am ashamed of their selfishness and stupidity. Hong Kong has become a society of uncivilized people. The government is mostly to blame. People have lost trust in the government.
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　　There's a sucker born every minute. 你可知道这句话是甚么意思？我在超市看见连厕纸都被抢购一空（fly off the shelves），就想起这句老话来。俚语sucker是指一个gullible的人，别人说甚么他就信甚么；形容词 gullible即是太易相信他人，以致很易受骗的人。因此，习语 "there's a sucker born every minute"的意思是，世上有太多易受骗的（gullible）「水鱼」，别人说甚么，他们就会信甚么。习语"there's a fool born every minute"也是同一个意思。若某物 fly off the shelves，意即被人抢购一空。自武汉新型冠状病毒爆发以来，口罩、米、厕纸、纸巾、漂白水以及许多其他的货物，都已被抢购一空（flying off the shelves）。下一样抢手货（fly off the shelves）又会是甚么？若果社交媒体上流传一个谣言，说将盐、醋和威士忌混合一起煮热，一天饮用四次，便可以治瘉感染武汉病毒的患者，我敢肯定，这三样都会被抢清光。有人传一条短片给我，示范怎样用女士的胸围制作两个口罩，就是用上胸围的两个垫，以及用肩带作为挂耳的圈。我只是当作笑话跟挚友分享。我肯定，若我放上社交网站，胸围也会被抢购一空（flying off the shelves）。然而，易受骗的（gullible）人又会知道该买甚么尺码的罩杯吗？
　　习语"there is a sucker born every minute"并不太能准确地描述香港人，这句说话应该改成"there's a Hong Kong sucker born every second"。我现在再也买不到厕纸、米、漂白水、纸巾以及抹手纸了，它们全都被抢购一空（flown off the shelves）。水鱼们（suckers）买了远远多于他们所能用到的，因为他们都是易受骗的（gullible），相信米以及其他各样货品很快就会缺货。对于他们的自私以及愚蠢，我实在感到很羞耻。香港变成了充满不文明人的社会。政府最为难辞其咎，人们已经对政府完全失去信任了。
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中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁