又中又英——anti-vaxxers

　　Not many Hong Kong people would be familiar with the word “anti-vaxxer”. It is not a new word but has made a comeback now that there is a vaccine for the coronavirus. In the past, anti-vaxxers lived mostly in Western countries, such as the US and Britain. But Hong Kong now also has its fair share of anti-vaxxers. The word “vaxxer” comes from the word “vaccine”. The word “anti” means against. An anti-vaxxer, therefore, means someone who is against vaccines. The original term was “anti-vaccination” but this has evolved into “anti-vax”. People who are against vaccinations are called anti-vaxxers. The word “comeback” has several meanings but used this way it means a return to something, such a previous fashion trend.
　　Many people around the world, including Hong Kong, have become anti-vaxxers. They have no problem with flu shots but are worried about the safety of the new coronavirus vaccines. That’s why the word “anti-vaxxers” has made a comeback. The expression “fair share” means to have a lot or an equal amount of something, especially something bad. You can say you have had your fair share of bad luck. This means you have had as much bad luck as other people with bad luck. Even though the coronavirus has made more people become anti-vaxxers, there is a long history of people opposed to vaccines.
　　The first documented vaccine was invented by Edward Jenner, an English doctor and scientist, who invented the word “vaccination” and the smallpox vaccine in 1796. Jenner saw a connection between cowpox, a viral disease in cows, and smallpox. He modified the cowpox virus to vaccinate a young boy. It eventually became the smallpox vaccine. Many people in the West did not believe in the vaccine’s safety and became anti-vaxxers. But others believed in it after seeing its effectiveness. Vaccines have prevented many diseases but some people still distrust vaccines. I am not an anti-vaxxer. I registered for the BioNTech vaccine just before the government suspended BioNTech vaccinations because supplies to Hong Kong had faulty packaging.
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　　不是许多香港人熟悉“anti-vaxxer”这个字。它并非一个新字，但因为现在有对抗新冠肺炎的疫苗，令这个字又重新流行（comeback）起来。以往anti-vaxxers主要来自西方国家，如美国和英国，但香港现在也有为数不少的（fair share of）anti-vaxxers。“Vaxxer”来自疫苗“vaccine”一字，“anti”即反对，因此anti-vaxxer即指反对接种疫苗的人士。它原本的写法是“anti-vaccination”，逐渐演变成“anti-vax”，而反对疫苗的人就被称为anti-vaxxers。Comeback一字有几个意思，但在这里的意思就是某事物，例如之前的一个时装潮流，又再度流行。
　　世界各地有许多人，包括香港的，都成为了反疫苗者（anti-vaxxers）。他们对流感针没有多大意见，但就担忧新冠肺炎的疫苗的安全。因此“anti-vaxxers”这个字又再度流行（comeback）起来。习语“fair share”即在某物，尤其坏事情上，已拥有大量或足够「公平」的份额了。你可以说you have had your fair share of bad luck，意思是你的霉运已够多了，足以比得上那些倒楣的人所遭遇的。纵然新冠肺炎令更多人成为反疫苗者（anti-vaxxers），但其实人们反对疫苗的历史由来已久。
　　第一支有文献纪录的疫苗是由英国医生及科学家爱德华．詹纳所研发，他于一七九六年发明了“vaccination”一字及天花疫苗。詹纳见到在牛群传播的病毒疾病牛痘，以及天花之间的关系。他改良了牛痘病毒以接种在一名男孩身上。它最终发展成天花疫苗。西方许多人都不相信疫苗的安全，成为反疫苗者（anti-vaxxers）；但另一些人见过疫苗的功效后都相信了。疫苗已经预防了许多疾病，但有些人仍不信任疫苗。我并非反疫苗者（anti-vaxxer），我刚预约复必泰疫苗后不久，政府就因其供港批次的包装有瑕疵，而暂停复必泰的接种。中译：七刻
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Michael Chugani 褚简宁