Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - tough call｜又中又英
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2022-06-07 00:00 HKT
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A reader emailed me to say I have been writing too much about food and restaurants, which he finds uninteresting. He suggested I write about the different cultures of the many cities I have visited since returning to the US ten months ago. He also suggested I write about the differences between the US and Hong Kong. Should I stop writing about food and restaurants and write about what the reader suggested? It’s a tough call. My editor once told me to steer clear of politics and write about food and restaurants. The expression “tough call” means a decision that is difficult to make, especially when there are only two choices. To steer clear of something means to avoid it.
When this column first started the plan was to write about government officials and politicians speaking English incorrectly. My intention was not to embarrass them but to point out their errors so readers can learn. The original plan evolved (gradually changed) over time when officials and politicians chose to speak mostly in Cantonese. I began to write more about English expressions, slang words, and some English words that have many meanings. I also wrote about movies and songs that I like, and the European cities I visited during a Mediterranean cruise in 2018. Readers will know I often also wrote about my liking for martinis, red wine, and pizzas.
One thing I have noticed since returning to the US is the rising number of homeless people. The US is a rich country yet there are over half a million homeless people. New York, where I now live, has the highest number of homeless people, followed by Los Angeles and Seattle, where I lived for many years. Seattle was the most livable US city when I lived there but it has now gone downhill. To go downhill means to gradually get worse. If a city is livable it means it is a very good place to live. Let me know what topics interest you. Email me with your suggestions.
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一位读者传电邮给我，说我写得太多饮食和餐厅了，他觉得这些很没趣。他建议我写一写，自十个月前回到美国以来，我到访过的许多城市的不同文化；他也提议我可以写写美国和香港的差异。我应否停写饮食和餐厅，而写这位读者所建议的？这是个 tough call。我的编辑曾着我避开（steer clear of）政治不谈，而去写饮食和餐厅。习语“tough call”是指困难的决定，尤其是当只有两个选项，令人左右为难之时。To steer clear of something意即去避开某事物。
这个专栏开始的时候，原先是计划去写一些政府官员和政客说错的英文。我的目的不是要去令他们难堪，而是去指出他们的错处，好让读者们都能从中学习。这个原初的计划随着时间逐步演变（evolved），因为官员和政客们选择多以广东话发言。我开始写更多英文习语、俚语，以及一些带多重意思的英文字。我也写过我喜欢的电影和歌曲，以及在二○一八年乘搭地中海邮轮期间游历过的欧洲城市。读者们也会知道，我也常写我喜爱的马天尼、红酒以及薄饼。
自回到美国以来，有一样我留意到的，是无家者人数的增加。美国是个富裕的国家，然而却有逾五十万名无家者。我住的城市纽约，拥有最多的露宿者，其次是洛杉矶和西雅图，后者我也曾居住多年。我住西雅图的时候，它是最宜居的（livable）美国城市，但现在已经 gone downhill——to go downhill是指每况愈下、越来越差。若一个城市是 livable，即它非常适合人居住。告诉我有甚么题目会令你感兴趣的吧。有任何建议，欢迎传电邮给我。
中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
When this column first started the plan was to write about government officials and politicians speaking English incorrectly. My intention was not to embarrass them but to point out their errors so readers can learn. The original plan evolved (gradually changed) over time when officials and politicians chose to speak mostly in Cantonese. I began to write more about English expressions, slang words, and some English words that have many meanings. I also wrote about movies and songs that I like, and the European cities I visited during a Mediterranean cruise in 2018. Readers will know I often also wrote about my liking for martinis, red wine, and pizzas.
One thing I have noticed since returning to the US is the rising number of homeless people. The US is a rich country yet there are over half a million homeless people. New York, where I now live, has the highest number of homeless people, followed by Los Angeles and Seattle, where I lived for many years. Seattle was the most livable US city when I lived there but it has now gone downhill. To go downhill means to gradually get worse. If a city is livable it means it is a very good place to live. Let me know what topics interest you. Email me with your suggestions.
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一位读者传电邮给我，说我写得太多饮食和餐厅了，他觉得这些很没趣。他建议我写一写，自十个月前回到美国以来，我到访过的许多城市的不同文化；他也提议我可以写写美国和香港的差异。我应否停写饮食和餐厅，而写这位读者所建议的？这是个 tough call。我的编辑曾着我避开（steer clear of）政治不谈，而去写饮食和餐厅。习语“tough call”是指困难的决定，尤其是当只有两个选项，令人左右为难之时。To steer clear of something意即去避开某事物。
这个专栏开始的时候，原先是计划去写一些政府官员和政客说错的英文。我的目的不是要去令他们难堪，而是去指出他们的错处，好让读者们都能从中学习。这个原初的计划随着时间逐步演变（evolved），因为官员和政客们选择多以广东话发言。我开始写更多英文习语、俚语，以及一些带多重意思的英文字。我也写过我喜欢的电影和歌曲，以及在二○一八年乘搭地中海邮轮期间游历过的欧洲城市。读者们也会知道，我也常写我喜爱的马天尼、红酒以及薄饼。
自回到美国以来，有一样我留意到的，是无家者人数的增加。美国是个富裕的国家，然而却有逾五十万名无家者。我住的城市纽约，拥有最多的露宿者，其次是洛杉矶和西雅图，后者我也曾居住多年。我住西雅图的时候，它是最宜居的（livable）美国城市，但现在已经 gone downhill——to go downhill是指每况愈下、越来越差。若一个城市是 livable，即它非常适合人居住。告诉我有甚么题目会令你感兴趣的吧。有任何建议，欢迎传电邮给我。
中译:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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