又中又英——Cut Someone Some Slack
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2021-07-20 04:17 HKT
字體大小
In my previous column I wrote briefly about Hong Kong’s “daft” quarantine rules. The British slang word “daft” means nonsensical, absurd, or idiotic. I wrote that Hong Kong’s quarantine rules are a joke. People must quarantine for 21 days, 14 days, or seven days depending on which country they are returning from and if they have been fully vaccinated. Even fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents returning from low-risk or medium-risk countries must quarantine for seven days but only if they can show proof of a positive antibody test. If they haven’t taken an antibody test, they must quarantine for 14 days. This test must be taken in Hong Kong before departure and is valid for only three months.
This means fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents who are overseas for more than three months must still quarantine for 14 days when they return. Our government will not accept antibody tests taken even in developed countries. During seven days of quarantine and after that, residents must still test negative for the coronavirus several times. Our government needs to cut Hong Kong residents some slack. The expression “cut someone some slack” means to make things easier than normal for someone because of special circumstances. The global coronavirus epidemic has created many special circumstances. Some Hong Kong people may want to visit their families overseas for more than three months. The government should cut them some slack by recognizing antibody tests taken in developed countries.
It boggles the mind that the government does not trust antibody tests done in the US yet trusts a coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by US firm Pfizer and German firm Biontech. The expression “boggle the mind” means to cause someone to have a difficult time understanding something, especially something that is considered stupid. Nearly two million locals have received the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. If the government trusts the vaccine, it is stupid to quarantine fully vaccinated people who test negative upon arrival and have a positive antibody result.
在上一个专栏中我约莫写过香港那些愚笨（daft）的隔离检疫规例。英式俚语“daft”是指荒谬无意义、荒唐或愚蠢的。我写道香港的隔离检疫规例是个笑话。人们必须隔离检疫二十一天、十四天或七天，视乎他们从哪个国家返港，以及是否已全剂量接种疫苗。即使香港居民已全剂接种疫苗，从低风险或中风险国家返港时也必须隔离七天，而且他们必须出示抗体测试结果呈阳性的证明。要是他们未有接受抗体测试，就必须隔离十四天。这个测试必须在离境前于香港进行，结果有效期只得三个月。
那即是说，已全剂量接种疫苗的香港居民，要是在海外逗留超过三个月，返港时也必须隔离十四天。我们的政府不会接受海外的抗体测试结果，即使该测试在已发展国家进行。在七天隔离期间及其后，居民仍须数次取得新冠肺炎检测的阴性证明。我们的政府实在需要给香港人行个方便（cut Hong Kong residents some slack）。习语“cut someone some slack”是指基于特殊情况，给某人行个方便，不那么严苛。全球新冠肺炎疫情已制造了诸多特殊的状况，一些香港居民会想探望海外的亲友，在当地逗留多于三个月。政府好应该网开一面（cut them some slack），认可在已发展国家接受抗体测试的结果。
政府不信任在美国进行的抗体测试，却又信任由美国公司辉瑞及德国生物新科技公司BioNTech共同研发的新冠肺炎疫苗，实在令人摸不着头脑（boggles the mind）。习语“boggle the mind”解作某事令人费解、感到不可思议、难以置信，尤其当那事被视为愚不可及的。近二百万本地人已接种了复必泰疫苗，若政府信任疫苗，却又去隔离那些已全剂量接种疫苗、抵港检测时呈阴性、拥有抗体测试阳性结果的人士，这就真是愚蠢至极。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
This means fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents who are overseas for more than three months must still quarantine for 14 days when they return. Our government will not accept antibody tests taken even in developed countries. During seven days of quarantine and after that, residents must still test negative for the coronavirus several times. Our government needs to cut Hong Kong residents some slack. The expression “cut someone some slack” means to make things easier than normal for someone because of special circumstances. The global coronavirus epidemic has created many special circumstances. Some Hong Kong people may want to visit their families overseas for more than three months. The government should cut them some slack by recognizing antibody tests taken in developed countries.
It boggles the mind that the government does not trust antibody tests done in the US yet trusts a coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by US firm Pfizer and German firm Biontech. The expression “boggle the mind” means to cause someone to have a difficult time understanding something, especially something that is considered stupid. Nearly two million locals have received the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine. If the government trusts the vaccine, it is stupid to quarantine fully vaccinated people who test negative upon arrival and have a positive antibody result.
在上一个专栏中我约莫写过香港那些愚笨（daft）的隔离检疫规例。英式俚语“daft”是指荒谬无意义、荒唐或愚蠢的。我写道香港的隔离检疫规例是个笑话。人们必须隔离检疫二十一天、十四天或七天，视乎他们从哪个国家返港，以及是否已全剂量接种疫苗。即使香港居民已全剂接种疫苗，从低风险或中风险国家返港时也必须隔离七天，而且他们必须出示抗体测试结果呈阳性的证明。要是他们未有接受抗体测试，就必须隔离十四天。这个测试必须在离境前于香港进行，结果有效期只得三个月。
那即是说，已全剂量接种疫苗的香港居民，要是在海外逗留超过三个月，返港时也必须隔离十四天。我们的政府不会接受海外的抗体测试结果，即使该测试在已发展国家进行。在七天隔离期间及其后，居民仍须数次取得新冠肺炎检测的阴性证明。我们的政府实在需要给香港人行个方便（cut Hong Kong residents some slack）。习语“cut someone some slack”是指基于特殊情况，给某人行个方便，不那么严苛。全球新冠肺炎疫情已制造了诸多特殊的状况，一些香港居民会想探望海外的亲友，在当地逗留多于三个月。政府好应该网开一面（cut them some slack），认可在已发展国家接受抗体测试的结果。
政府不信任在美国进行的抗体测试，却又信任由美国公司辉瑞及德国生物新科技公司BioNTech共同研发的新冠肺炎疫苗，实在令人摸不着头脑（boggles the mind）。习语“boggle the mind”解作某事令人费解、感到不可思议、难以置信，尤其当那事被视为愚不可及的。近二百万本地人已接种了复必泰疫苗，若政府信任疫苗，却又去隔离那些已全剂量接种疫苗、抵港检测时呈阴性、拥有抗体测试阳性结果的人士，这就真是愚蠢至极。
[email protected]
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
最Hit
更多文章