又中又英 | Out with the old, in with the new | 褚简宁

　　Out with the old, in with the new. This expression means new things should replace old ones. It can be used to replace old furniture, clothes, and ideas with new ones. Many do this during the New Year or Lunar New Year. The expression can be used to replace older people with younger ones. Warren Buffett, the world’s fifth richest person, is 95 and has finally decided to step down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. But US politician Chuck Grassley, a Republican who is 92 and has been a senator for 44 years, said recently he may run again in the 2028 elections.

　　He obviously doesn’t believe in out with the old, in with the new! California Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat aged 85, has started to believe in it. After serving nearly 40 years in the House of Representatives, she has decided not to run again in next year’s mid-term elections. Pelosi broke the glass ceiling in 2007 when she became the first and only woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. A glass ceiling is the point when you cannot rise any further at work. To break the glass ceiling means women and minorities overcoming the invisible barriers that prevent them rising further.

　　I knew Pelosi during the 1990s when I worked as a journalist in Washington DC. She was an ordinary congresswoman at the time, not the Speaker. I don’t think she remembers me now! Most Californians eat healthy food, but I read a recent news article that said Pelosi’s daily lunch is a hot dog with mustard, her breakfast often includes ice cream, and she eats plenty of chocolates!

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　　Out with the old, in with the new. 这句习语的意思是旧的不去，新的不来，旧事物应被新事物替代。它可以用来形容以新的家私、衣物和想法去替代旧的。许多人在新年或农历新年的时候都会这样做。这个习语也可以是在年轻新人替代旧人的时候用的。全球富豪排名第5的禾伦．巴菲特已年届95，终于决定退下来，卸任巴郡．哈萨威行政总裁之位。然而，当了参议员44年的美国共和党政客查克．葛雷斯利已92岁，最近说他仍想参选2028选举，角逐连任。

　　很显然，他完全不相信去旧迎新（out with the old, in with the new）这一套！85岁的民主党加州国会议员兰茜．佩洛西，却开始相信了。在众议院供职近40年的她，决定不再参选明年的中期选举。佩洛西于2007年成为首位及唯一一位女众议院议长时，打破了「玻璃天花板」（broke the glass ceiling）。A glass ceiling是指你在职场上到了一个阶层，不能再向上晋升。To break the glass ceiling则是指女性和少数族群克服了那些阻止他们更上一层楼的无形障碍。

　　我在1990年代于华盛顿特区担任新闻工作者的时候，就认识佩洛西。当时她只是普通一名众议员，还不是议长。我不认为她现在还记得我了！大部分加州人都吃健康的食物，但我最近却看到一则新闻报道，说佩洛西每天的午餐是涂了芥末的热狗，早餐常常包括雪糕，而且还吃许多朱古力呢！

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻