又中又英——bucket list

　　Many people have a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things people want to do during their lifetime. The first item on my bucket list is to visit as many countries as I can. Last week I added a new item to my bucket list. I want to be in Hong Kong in 2025 for a special occasion even if I no longer live here. It is the planned year for the reopening of the historic 68-year old State Theatre in North Point. I love historic buildings. Our government and property developers have a terrible record in preserving them.
　　I was ecstatic (very happy) when New World Development, which has bought the State Theatre, said it would preserve the iconic building and turn it back into a cinema and cultural area. Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, the chief executive of New World, is the young grandson of New World founder Cheng Yu-tung. Adrian cares a lot about arts and culture. He has hired international experts to restore the State Theatre, which opened in 1952 and closed in 1997. After it closed, the building became a pool hall and a shopping mall. It is now an empty building in poor condition.
　　New World invited me and other media people to tour the building last week. The restoration will preserve the iconic exoskeleton truss roof. That is great news! The word “exoskeleton” means a hard outer layer, like an outside skeleton, that protects things such as insects. The word “truss” is a support for a building or bridge. The State Theatre is iconic because it has a skeleton-like truss that supports the building. The original cinema seats are gone but New World hopes the company that made them can make replicas (exact copies). The pool tables are still there. I wanted to be a pool shark when I was young but was lousy at pool. A pool shark is an expert player who makes money from playing pool, usually by pretending to be lousy to trick people. See you at the State Theatre when it is restored!
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　　许多人都有个 bucket list。A bucket list就是人们一生中想要完成的愿望清单。我那愿望清单（bucket list）上的第一个项目，就是环游世界各国，有多少就去多少。上星期我在愿望清单（bucket list）上加了一个新的项目：为了一个特别的时刻，二○二五年我想在香港，就算我那时候已不在这里居住。这一年，是有六十八年历史的北角皇都戏院计划重开之年。我喜爱历史建筑。我们的政府和地产发展商过往在保育历史建筑上纪录欠佳。
　　当购入皇都的新世界发展说会保存这个地标性的建筑，将它还原为戏院和文化场地时，我欣喜若狂（ecstatic）。新世界行政总裁郑志刚，是新世界创办人郑裕彤年轻的孙子。郑志刚很关心艺术与文化。他聘用了国际专家去修复皇都戏院，它于一九五二年开幕，一九九七年结业。它结业后，这座大厦就变成了桌球会和购物商场。它现在是个破落的空置大厦。
　　上星期，新世界邀请了我和其他传媒人去参观这座大厦。这次修复将会保存那具代表性的 exoskeleton truss屋顶。真是天大的喜讯！ Exoskeleton是指一个坚硬的外壳如外骨骼，保护像昆虫的动物。Truss就是支撑大楼或桥梁的桁架。皇都戏院具代表性，因为它有个像骨骼的飞拱桁架（truss）支撑着建筑物。原本的戏院座椅已经没有了，但新世界希望那间制造座椅的公司可以再造一样的复制品（replicas）。那些桌球枱还在那儿。我年轻的时候希望成为pool shark，可是我的桌球技术糟透了。A pool shark就是专业的玩家，靠玩桌球赚钱，通常都会装作技术很差来诱骗人。在皇都修复完成并重开之日，我们到时见吧！
中译：七刻
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Michael Chugani 褚简宁