又中又英——Cause a stink

　　North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un often uses his younger sister Kim Yo Jong to warn countries that are considered enemies of North Korea. Many countries in Asia and the West were taken aback last week when his younger sister issued an eerie statement to warn the US. She issued her message when two senior American officials travelled to Japan and South Korea for high-level talks that included North Korea's nuclear weapons. She said in her statement, which was translated into English, "If the U.S. wants to sleep in peace for the coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step".
　　The message was intended to warn US President Joe Biden not to team up with Japan and South Korea to threaten North Korea. If you are taken aback, it means you are shocked, surprised, or startled by something unexpected. Many governments were startled by the statement's threatening language. The word "eerie" means strange, frightening, or chilling. The word "refrain" means to avoid or stop yourself from doing something. The word "stink" used as a noun means a very bad or unpleasant smell. Rotten eggs have a bad stink. If you say the toilet stinks (verb), it means the toilet smells bad. But Kim Yo Jong did not mean a bad smell when she used the word "stink".
　　The expression "cause a stink" can be used in different ways. But Kim Yo Jong used it in a way that means to cause trouble and make people angry. She warned the US to refrain from causing trouble that will make North Korea angry. It was the first trip by the US secretary of state and defence secretary to Japan and South Korea since Biden became president. That's why she warned the US to refrain from causing a stink at its first step. The US doesn't want North Korea to threaten South Korea with nuclear weapons. That's why it will continue to pressure North Korea, or cause a stink.
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　　北韩领导人金正恩不时透过其妹金与正，警告那些被他们视为北韩敌人的国家。当他的胞妹上星期发出一份怪异恐怖（eerie）的声明去警告美国时，许多亚洲国家以至西方都大吃一惊（taken aback）。她发布这个讯息，是当两名美国高官访问日本和南韩作高级别会议，当中包括谈及北韩核武问题之时。把她的话翻译过来，她在声明中所说的是：「若美国希望在接下来的四年睡得安稳，最好别（refrain）一开始就制造麻烦（causing a stink）。」
　　这个讯息意图警告美国总统拜登，别拉日本和南韩合作去威胁北韩。若你是taken aback，意即你被某件意料之外的事情吓一跳、大吃一惊，或仓皇失措。这份声明的恐吓性与严厉的措辞，确令许多政府都大感吃惊。Eerie解作怪诞、可怕或令人毛骨悚然的。Refrain是指避免又或克制自己去做某事。Stink作名词用时，是指非常难闻的臭味，例如坏掉的蛋就有一股臭味（stink）。若你说the toilet stinks（动词），意即那个厕所很臭。但金与正用上“stink”一字时，她的意思并非指臭味。
　　习语“cause a stink”可以有许多用法，但金与正用这个习语的意思是指去制造麻烦、惹人生气，引起轩然大波。她警告美国不要（refrain）制造甚么会令北韩不快的麻烦。那是自拜登上任总统以来，美国国务卿和国防部长首度访问日本和南韩。因此她警告美国，不要（refrain）一开始就制造麻烦（causing a stink）。然而，美国不希望北韩以核武威胁南韩，因此它会继续向北韩施压，或说cause a stink。中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁