又中又英——To “have your cake and eat it too”.

　　In a previous column I wrote about an expression former chief executive Leung Chun-ying used. He said Hong Kong people cannot have our cake and eat it too. To "have your cake and eat it too" means to have two good things at the same time that are impossible to have. Leung Chun-ying meant if people want a high degree of autonomy, they must accept it is given by Beijing. He used another expression last week when reporters asked if he would run again for chief executive. He said he would do anything to serve Hong Kong and the country.
　　He said: "I have not been exactly sitting on my hands for the past three years." The expression "sit on your hands" means to do nothing or take no action about a problem. For example, some people sit and put their hands under their thighs while watching a robbery without calling the police. I don't know the origin of this expression but some believe it originated from theatre. If you see a show, like Phantom of the Opera, which I saw in London two years ago, and put your hands under your thighs to keep warm, you won't clap. That means you won't do anything even if the performance is good.
　　I gave the Phantom of the Opera a standing ovation, which means to stand up and clap when the show ends. When Leung Chun-ying said "I have not been exactly sitting on my hands for the past three years", he meant instead of doing nothing he has done a lot to explain what the Basic Law means. He has not said explicitly (clearly) he wants to run again. If he does, he will be like Donald Trump who lost the election after one term but may run again. Unlike Trump, Leung Chun-ying didn't run for a second term but it seems he now may after Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's disaster as chief executive.
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　　在之前一篇专栏中，我写过前特首梁振英用到的一个习语。他说我们香港人cannot have our cake and eat it too。To“have your cake and eat it too”意即想要鱼与熊掌两者兼得，但其实是不可能的。梁振英的意思是，若香港人想要高度自治，他们一定得接受那是北京所赋予的。上星期，当有记者问他可会再次参选特首时，他用了另一个习语。他说他会做任何事去服务香港与国家。
　　他说：「过去三年，我并非真的sitting on my hands。」习语“sit on your hands”意即对一个问题袖手旁观或置之不理。譬如，有些人目击抢劫案发生，却只管坐着，将双手放于大腿下，而不去报警。我不知道这个习语的出处，但有些人相信它来源于剧场。若你看一个表演，例如《歌声魅影》（我两年前在伦敦看过），然后将双手放于大腿下保暖，你便不会拍手了——那意味着即使那个演出很好，你也不会做任何事。
　　我给了《歌声魅影》一个standing ovation，意即在表演完毕谢幕时站立鼓掌。当梁振英说「过去三年我并非真的sitting on my hands」，他的意思是他做了许多事去解释《基本法》的涵义，而非坐视不理、撒手不管。他没有明确地（explicitly）表示他会再选特首。若他再选，他就会像特朗普般，当过一任之后便落选，但或会再度参选；不过，梁振英不像特朗普，梁并没有竞逐连任，但看来他现在或会再选，接手林郑月娥当特首的祸患。中译：七刻
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Michael Chugani 褚简宁