又中又英——Coup d＇état

　　American politicians and the media are using the word "insurrection" for the storming of the US Congress last week by President Donald Trump's supporters. Some describe the storming as a "coup d'état". The word "insurrection" means an organized attempt by people who want to defeat their government and take control of their country by violence. The word "storming" means a sudden attack and capture of a building. The French word "coup d'état", which is widely used in English, means a sudden defeat or overthrow of a government illegally by a small group of people, often a military one.
　　I personally don't think an insurrection or coup d'état is possible in the US, nor do I think the Trump supporters who stormed the Congress could have succeeded in overthrowing the government, if that was what they wanted to do. This is because the US is a strong democracy with a military I don't believe will support an insurrection or coup d'état. The use of those words in the US last week made me think of Hong Kong's national security law. The law defines four broad areas as illegal. They are subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.
　　I have explained these words before. The one closest to insurrection is subversion. The word "insurrection" is not emphasized in the national security law, nor is coup d'état. To "subvert" means to destroy the power or influence of something, such as a government. The Cambridge Dictionary defines subversion as trying to destroy or damage a system of government. The police last week used the national security law to arrest over 50 opposition people for subversion. They allegedly either organized or took part in an unofficial primary election to choose candidates for Legislative Council elections to get enough elected members to vote down the government. But the government said that was subversion, or an attempt to overthrow the government. I don't believe Hong Kong's opposition can overthrow the government in the same way I don't believe Trump supporters can overthrow the US government.
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　　美国政客与传媒都在用 "insurrection" 一字，来描述上星期总统特朗普支持者突袭（storming）美国国会大厦。一些传媒更形容那场突袭（storming）为 "coup d'état"。Insurrection是叛乱、起义，人民组织并试图推翻政府，以武力夺取国家的主权。Storming则指突袭和占领一栋大楼。法语 "coup d'état"，在英文里很常用，是指政变，即有一小撮人，通常是军事组织，用非法的手段突然击败或推翻一个政府。
　　我个人不认为叛乱（insurrection）或政变（coup d'état）在美国是可能的，也不认为突袭（stormed）国会大厦的特朗普支持者可以成功推翻政府——若那是他们想做的事。因为美国拥有强大的民主，辅以一支我不相信会支持叛乱（insurrection）或政变（coup d'état）的军队。上周在美国所用的这些字词，令我想起香港的《国安法》。这则法例定义了四个宽阔的范畴属于违法，那就是颠覆国家政权（subversion）、分裂国家、恐怖主义，以及勾结外国势力。
　　我从前已经解释过这些字词。最接近叛乱（insurrection）的就是 subversion。「叛乱」（insurrection）在《国安法》中并未强调，「政变」（coup d'état"）也没有。To "subvert" 意即破坏某事物，例如政府的权力或影响力。《牛津字典》定义subversion为意图颠覆或破坏政府体制。上星期，警方用《国安法》下的颠覆（subversion）罪名，拘捕逾五十位反对派人士。他们涉嫌组织或参与非官方的初选，该次初选是拣选立法会选举的候选人，以集得足够的议员去投票否决、罢免政府。可是，政府说那是颠覆（subversion），或企图推翻政府。我不认为香港的反对派可以推翻政府，正如我不相信特朗普支持者可以推翻美国政府。中译：七刻[email protected]

Michael Chugani 褚简宁