Michael Chugani 褚简宁 - living hell｜又中又英
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
2022-12-20 00:00 HKT
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A recent CNN news report struck a chord with me. It said Taiwan is a living hell for pedestrians. I have been in Taipei for two months now. It really is a living hell for pedestrians. If something strikes a chord with you, it means you agree with it. The expression “living hell” means an extremely unpleasant situation. Taiwan is a living hell because roads are full of scooter riders and motorists who ignore traffic lights and rules. Crossing the road even when pedestrians have a green light is like dicing with death. To dice with death means to do something extremely risky.
Even walking on sidewalks for pedestrians is dicing with death because scooter riders suddenly drive up from roads to sidewalks. The sidewalks are full of parked scooters, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk. Now that Taiwan has opened for tourists, many countries have warned their citizens to be extra careful. The Japan government’s website contains the most serious warning. It said developed countries give pedestrians the right of way, but Taiwanese drivers behave as if they always have the right of way. The website pointed out there are far more road accidents and deaths in Taiwan than Japan even though Taiwan’s population is one-fifth that of Japan.
The US, Britain, Australia, and Canada have also warned their citizens about the dangerous situation in Taiwan. When I lived in Hong Kong, I often wrote about drivers not giving right of way to pedestrians, but Taiwan is far worse. Taiwan politicians have demanded that the government increase fines for dangerous driving after the CNN report, but I don’t think drivers will change their dangerous habits.
＊＊＊＊＊
美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）近期一则新闻报道引起了我的共鸣（struck a chord）。它说，行人在台湾真是活受罪（living hell）。我现时在台北已经有两个月了，它对于行人来说确实是非常煎熬（living hell）。若某事strikes a chord with you，意即你对之深表认同。习语“living hell”是指很煎熬、不适的环境，有如人间地狱一般。台湾是个「活地狱」（living hell），因为道路满是不理交通灯号和交通规则的机车与汽车司机。即使在行人绿灯时过马路，仍然像dicing with death——to dice with death是指做某事要冒很大的风险，如同赌命一般。
行人即使走在行人道上，仍然要冒生命危险（dicing with death），因为机车司机会突然由马路驶上行人道。而在行人道上，则是泊满了机车，令行人举步维艰。现在台湾开放给游客入境，许多国家都警告自己的国民要特别小心。日本政府网站载有最严厉的警示，它说，已发展国家都会让行人有道路优先使用权，然而台湾司机们的行径，则活像他们总是有道路优先使用权。网站指出，台湾的交通意外及相关的身亡数字远远高于日本，即使台湾人口只是日本人口的五分之一。
美国、英国、澳洲和加拿大皆已就台湾的危险道路状况警告其国民。我在香港居住时，不时写及司机没有给予行人优先使用权，但台湾的情况要恶劣得多。在CNN的新闻报道刊出后，台湾政客已要求政府提高危险驾驶的罚款，但我不认为司机们会改变他们的危险驾驶陋习。
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
Even walking on sidewalks for pedestrians is dicing with death because scooter riders suddenly drive up from roads to sidewalks. The sidewalks are full of parked scooters, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk. Now that Taiwan has opened for tourists, many countries have warned their citizens to be extra careful. The Japan government’s website contains the most serious warning. It said developed countries give pedestrians the right of way, but Taiwanese drivers behave as if they always have the right of way. The website pointed out there are far more road accidents and deaths in Taiwan than Japan even though Taiwan’s population is one-fifth that of Japan.
The US, Britain, Australia, and Canada have also warned their citizens about the dangerous situation in Taiwan. When I lived in Hong Kong, I often wrote about drivers not giving right of way to pedestrians, but Taiwan is far worse. Taiwan politicians have demanded that the government increase fines for dangerous driving after the CNN report, but I don’t think drivers will change their dangerous habits.
＊＊＊＊＊
美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）近期一则新闻报道引起了我的共鸣（struck a chord）。它说，行人在台湾真是活受罪（living hell）。我现时在台北已经有两个月了，它对于行人来说确实是非常煎熬（living hell）。若某事strikes a chord with you，意即你对之深表认同。习语“living hell”是指很煎熬、不适的环境，有如人间地狱一般。台湾是个「活地狱」（living hell），因为道路满是不理交通灯号和交通规则的机车与汽车司机。即使在行人绿灯时过马路，仍然像dicing with death——to dice with death是指做某事要冒很大的风险，如同赌命一般。
行人即使走在行人道上，仍然要冒生命危险（dicing with death），因为机车司机会突然由马路驶上行人道。而在行人道上，则是泊满了机车，令行人举步维艰。现在台湾开放给游客入境，许多国家都警告自己的国民要特别小心。日本政府网站载有最严厉的警示，它说，已发展国家都会让行人有道路优先使用权，然而台湾司机们的行径，则活像他们总是有道路优先使用权。网站指出，台湾的交通意外及相关的身亡数字远远高于日本，即使台湾人口只是日本人口的五分之一。
美国、英国、澳洲和加拿大皆已就台湾的危险道路状况警告其国民。我在香港居住时，不时写及司机没有给予行人优先使用权，但台湾的情况要恶劣得多。在CNN的新闻报道刊出后，台湾政客已要求政府提高危险驾驶的罚款，但我不认为司机们会改变他们的危险驾驶陋习。
中译：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚简宁
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