Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - The Night of the Long Knives.｜又中又英

To jump or wait to be pushed？Many senior government officials are likely wondering about this. Incoming chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said he wants a passionate government team to bring in a new chapter for Hong Kong. He has not said clearly if he wants new blood or if the existing team is passionate enough for a new chapter. If he keeps all the current bureau heads and executive councilors many people will see it as old wine in a new bottle. Will he push some or will some jump？To be pushed in this expression means to be fired. To jump means to resign first because you know you will be fired.

Only Lee Ka-chiu knows who he will eventually decide to push. Only senior officials and executive councillors know if they will jump. Hong Kong's political system means Lee Ka-chiu cannot decide on his own who to push. Beijing has the final word, which means the power to make the final decision. Thinking about who will be pushed or who will jump when the new chief executive takes over reminded me of Adolf Hitler's 1934 purge of his political enemies to strengthen his own position. The word“purge”in political terms means to get rid of people in the government or an organization because you disagree with them. Hundreds were executed during Hitler's purge.

It was called The Night of the Long Knives. Lee Ka-chiu is, of course, not a dictator who can execute people！Britain also had a Night of the Long Knives in 1962. The prime minister at the time, Harold Macmillan, fired seven cabinet members to bring in new blood because his Conservative Party was losing popularity. Cabinet members are people who advise the leader. Hong Kong's executive council is similar to a cabinet. Macmillan's firing of so many cabinet members so quickly was referred to as the Night of the Long Knives. There, of course, cannot be a British-style Night of the Long Knives in Hong Kong because the political system is very different.
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该自己跳船，还是等待被人推下船？（To jump or wait to be pushed？）这大概是许多政府高官现正思忖的事情。快将上任特首的李家超说了，希望可以有一队充满热情的政府团队，为香港开启新篇章。

他倒没有说清楚，是想要新人，抑或现有班子已有足够的热情去开新篇。若他保留现时所有局长与行政会议成员，那许多人都会视为旧酒新瓶。他可会推一些人下船，抑或有些会自动跳船（push some or will some jump）？To be pushed在这里解作被开除；to jump即先行辞职，因为你知道自己将会被炒。

只有李家超知道，他最终决定炒掉（push）谁；也只有高官和行会成员们知道，自己会不会跳船（jump）。香港的政治体制意味着，李家超并不能自行决定推哪人下船（push），北京拥有final word，就是最终话语权。想着新任行政长官继任，谁会被踢走（pushed），谁又会自己跳船（jump），令我想起了阿道夫．希特拉于一九三四年清除（purge）政敌，以巩固自己地位。Purge用在政治上，是指肃清政府又或组织内的异己，而在希特拉的政治清洗（purge）期间，就有数以百计的人被清算而处死。

那就叫做「长刀之夜」（The Night of the Long Knives）。当然，李家超并非会处死人的独裁者！英国在一九六二年也有过一次「长刀之夜」，当时的首相哈罗德．麦美伦辞退了七个内阁（cabinet）阁员，以换上新血，因为他的保守党渐失民心。

Cabinet members就是内阁成员，向领袖出谋献策。香港的行政会议也近似一个内阁。麦美伦那么迅速地炒掉那么多个内阁成员，就被指称为「长刀之夜」，不过，香港要有这种英式的「长刀之夜」，自然是不可能的，因为两地的政治体制迥然不同。
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁