又中又英——Spitting Nails

　　Some people spit nails all the time. I used to spit nails too but have learned to control it. Some very senior government officials told me Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor sometimes spits nails during the so-called morning prayers. I cannot confirm if she really does this because I am not allowed to attend morning prayers. The actual meaning of morning prayers is to pray in the morning. But in the Hong Kong government, the expression means the daily morning meeting of the most senior government officials with the chief executive. The expression is a throwback to colonial days when the governor met with top officials every weekday morning to discuss important issues.
　　The word “throwback” used this way means something that has similarities to an earlier time. The word “spit” means to force out saliva from your mouth. But the American slang expression “spit nails” means to be extremely angry at something. I would spit nails if I accidentally dropped my mobile phone into the toilet bowl. A similar British expression is “spit blood” or “spit venom”. The word “venom” means a poisonous liquid that some snakes or insects have when they bite people. But “venom” can also mean an expression of hate or anger. I used to spit nails, spit blood, or spit venom when I was young. All those expressions mean to get very angry at something.
　　But I now understand spitting nails is pointless. If you get angry at other people, they will also get angry with you. Some will openly get angry at you but others, who are not senior people, will get angry at you secretly. Bosses should avoid senior or junior staff secretly hating them because hated bosses can never do their jobs properly. Very senior government officials told me previous chief executives never spit nails during morning prayers. They would privately talk to senior officials who are not doing a good job. Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor should learn from them if she really spits nails during morning prayers.
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　　一些人常常破口大骂（spit nails）。我过去也时常口出恶言（spit nails），但已学懂了要管好自己的嘴。一些非常高级的政府官员曾告诉我，特首林郑月娥在那个所谓的「早祷会」（morning prayers）上也会破口大骂（spits nails）。我不能证实她是否真的这样发怒，因为我不获许出席早祷会（morning prayers）。Morning prayers的真正意思是在早上祈祷，但在香港政府里，这个习语是指最高层的政府官员与特首每朝早的例行会议。这个习语可追溯（throwback）至殖民时代，港督在每个工作日的早上与高官们会面，讨论重要议题。
　　Throwback在这里解作某事物带有往昔某个时代的特点，有着从前的影子。Spit即是从口中吐口水；但美式俚语“spit nails”是指对某事勃然大怒。要是我意外跌了手机进马桶，我就会破口大骂（spit nails）。相近的英式俚语是“spit blood”或“spit venom”，“venom”是一些蛇或昆虫叮咬时所分泌的毒液，但“venom”也可以指表达厌恶或愤怒的恶言。我年轻时就时常spit nails、spit blood或spit venom——这些习语都解作大动肝火而口出恶言或出口伤人。
　　但我现在明白到，破口大骂（spitting nails）是无意义的。若你向别人发怒，他们也会被触怒，对你恶言相向。一些人会公开地向你发怒，但其他地位不够高的人则会私底下发怒。老板好应避免高级或低级的员工私下讨厌自己，因为被憎恶的老板永不能好好办事。一些非常高级的政府官员告诉我，历任特首从不在早祷会（morning prayers）期间出口伤人（spit nails），他们会私底下督促那些表现不佳的高官。要是林郑月娥真有在早祷会（morning prayers）上怒斥（spits nails）官员，她便好应向前任特首们学习。
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中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁