Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - like there is no tomorrow.｜又中又英

When I returned to the US last August most American states required facemasks in indoor places such as cinemas, restaurants, and public transport. Many people chose to wear facemasks outdoors but some refused even indoors. It became a political issue. It’s been almost a year since I returned. The difference between last August and now is striking. The word “striking” used this way means very noticeable. You would be hard-pressed to find someone wearing a facemask in the US nowadays. The expression “hard-pressed” used this way means having difficulties. It would be difficult to find anyone in the US wearing facemasks nowadays because they are no longer mandatory (required by rules) indoors or outdoors.

When I flew back to Manhattan from San Diego the flight attendant announced facemasks were no longer mandatory. It was a long flight so I wore mine after dinner just in case. Some states, such as New York, still have local laws requiring masks on public transport but many people ignore them. I no longer wear my mask indoors because I have taken four Pfizer/BioNTech shots. I only wear a mask when I go to New York supermarkets because they are very crowded, unlike supermarkets in other states. The daily infection in the US is about 0.02 percent of the population of 334 million. The daily infection in Hong Kong is also about 0.02 percent of the population of 7.4 million.

But the two places have very different rules. Americans are living like there is no tomorrow. Flights are fully booked. Restaurants are fully booked. The expression “like there is no tomorrow” means to do things quickly without thinking or planning. Hong Kong people cannot live like there is no tomorrow because if they go on vacation they must quarantine when they return. The whole world, except Hong Kong and mainland China, has decided to move on because zero Covid is impossible. To “move on” used this way means to accept a difficult situation and continue as normal because there is no other choice.
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上年八月我回到美国之时，美国大部份的州份都要求市民在室内地方包括戏院、食肆和公共交通工具内戴上口罩。许多人选择在户外地方亦戴上口罩，但有些人就是连在室内地方也拒绝戴口罩。这变成了政治议题。我回美已接近一年了。上年八月跟现在相比，分别非常striking—— striking在这里的意思是「明显的」。今时今日，你想在美国找个戴口罩的，将会很 hard-pressed——习语“hard-pressed”在这里是指「面临困难」。今时今日在美国实在很难可以见到有谁会戴口罩，因为室内或室外都不再强制（mandatory）戴口罩。

当我从圣地牙哥飞回曼哈顿时，空中服务员宣布戴口罩不再是强制性的（mandatory）。那是一程长途机，因此我吃过晚饭后还是戴上了口罩，以防万一。一些州份如纽约，仍然会有本地的法例要求公共交通工具乘客须佩戴口罩，但许多人都无视。我在室内亦没有再戴口罩了，因为我已打了四针辉瑞复必泰疫苗。我只会在去纽约的超市时才戴口罩，因为那儿非常挤逼，不如其他州份的超市。美国每天的感染率约为三亿三千四百万人口中的0.02%；香港的每天感染率亦是七百四十万人口中约0.02%。

然而，两地的规例大相迳庭。美国人活得像没有明天似的（like there is no tomorrow），飞机航班都给订满了，餐厅也订个满座。习语“like there is no tomorrow”是指没多计划或考虑、不顾一切的拼命做事，像是机不可失似的。香港人就不能不顾一切地（like there is no tomorrow）生活了，因为若他们去旅游，回港时必须接受隔离。除了香港和中国内地，全世界都决定 move on，因为新冠疫情清零是不可能的。To “move on”在这里是指接受现实艰难的处境，继续如常生活，因为已别无他选。
Michael Chugani 褚简宁