又中又英——Down in the dumps

　　Halloween has come and gone. Next up is Thanksgiving. When I lived in the US, Halloween was the precursor to the start of the holiday season, which began with Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas and New Year. The expression "next up" means next in line or the next thing to happen. The word "precursor" means someone or something that comes before another. I spent last Halloween in London on vacation. Luckily, the coronavirus pandemic had not yet started. The year before, I spent Halloween on a Mediterranean cruise with my siblings and their families. The word "siblings" means your younger or older brothers and sisters. But last Saturday on Halloween night I stayed home alone feeling down in the dumps.
　　If you are "down in the dumps", it means you are feeling unhappy, gloomy, or depressed. When I lived in Central, near Lan Kwai Fong, I sometimes went there for Halloween with a few friends. But none of my friends wanted to go this year because of the coronavirus. It was the sensible thing to do. Even though there are social distancing rules, many people ignore such rules. And Halloween doesn't have the same feel if revelers must follow strict rules, which include wearing facemasks. It would be pointless to wear Halloween costumes and paint your face if you must also wear a facemask. The word "revelers" means people who enjoy themselves in a lively and noisy way.
　　I am sure I will feel down in the dumps during Christmas and New Year as well. In past years, I either went on trips during Christmas and New Year or family members in the US would come to Hong Kong. But the coronavirus pandemic means travel is impossible this holiday season. Most borders are shut. Hong Kong people who go to countries where borders are not shut would still have to quarantine for two weeks when they return. That's why I will stay put in Hong Kong this holiday season. To "stay put" means to remain where you are.
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　　万圣节来了又去了。接下来的（next up）是感恩节。我还住在美国时，万圣节是整个节庆时节的前奏（precursor），这个节庆时节由感恩节开始，然后是圣诞和新年。习语“next up”意即接下来或下一样要发生的事。Precursor是指作为前导或先驱的某人或某事。上一年的万圣节，我在伦敦度假，幸而当时新冠肺炎疫情还未开始。再上一年，我则跟我的兄弟姊妹（siblings）及他们的家人，在一架地中海邮轮上度过万圣节。Siblings就是指你的兄弟姊妹。但上星期六的万圣节夜，我独自一人留在家中，感到down in the dumps。
　　若你是down in the dumps，意即你感到不快、沮丧或忧郁的。当我还住在中环近兰桂坊之时，我有时会趁万圣节，跟几个朋友去那里逛一逛。然而，今年因为新冠肺炎疫情，我没有朋友想去那里。这是明智的做法。即使有社交距离措施，许多人却都漠视这些规则。而且若寻欢作乐的人（revelers）都必须遵守严谨的措施，包括佩戴口罩，那万圣节的感觉亦已不再一样了。若你必须戴口罩，穿万圣节的服饰和化五颜六色的妆亦变得毫无意义。Revelers是指喜爱热闹的狂欢者。
　　我肯定，在这个圣诞和新年我也会感到颓丧、心情低落的（down in the dumps）。在往年的圣诞和新年期间，我要不就是去了旅游度假，要不就是美国的家人来香港看我。但新冠肺炎疫情意味着，在这个节日时节期间旅游是想都不用想了。大部份国家都封关了。
　　那些香港人若到访一些没有关闭边境的国家，回港之后还要隔离检疫两星期。因此我在这个节日时节会呆在（stay put）香港了。To“stay put”即留在原地不动、维持原状。中译：七刻

Michael Chugani 褚简宁