又中又英 | A bolt from the blue | 褚简宁
It is impossible to predict tragedies with mass casualties caused by nature or human error. They strike suddenly, like a bolt from the blue. We only experience the horror of such tragedies when they happen. We then put in blood, sweat, and tears to find future solutions that prevent similar tragedies or at least lower the casualty rate. A bolt from the blue means a sudden and shocking event. The expression "blood, sweat, and tears" is used when people work extremely hard to achieve something.
The December 2004 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia which triggered a massive Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 280,000 people in 14 countries was a bolt from the blue caused by nature. Scientists cannot predict earthquakes or the tsunamis they cause, but they can warn people of a tsunami after an earthquake. The US invented the first tsunami warning system in 1949 for Hawaii. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, scientists put blood, sweat, and tears into creating a global tsunami warning system.
Nature did not cause last week's massive fire at Wang Fuk Court estate, which was being renovated. The fire has killed over 150 people so far. Numerous others are still unaccounted for. An investigation is underway into what ignited the fire, which spread across bamboo scaffoldings, netting covering the scaffoldings, and Styrofoam covering windows. It could have been workers smoking cigarettes. The government must put blood, sweat, and tears into finding the cause to prevent future tragedies. Residents of all buildings now undergoing renovation will be relieved that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has ordered safety checks. It's the right thing to do. A re-think into future construction methods is imperative.
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不论天灾或人祸，重大伤亡惨剧都是不可能预测的。惨剧总会像晴天霹雳（a bolt from the blue）般突然袭来。只有在它们发生的时候，我们才经历到这些惨剧的恐怖。然后我们会挥尽血汗与泪水（blood, sweat, and tears），寻求日后的解决方案，以避免类似的悲剧再发生，或至少减低伤亡数字。A bolt from the blue 是指在晴朗的蓝天突然出现一道闪电，比喻突然而令人震惊的事情。习语blood, sweat, and tears是用来形容人们极尽辛劳地工作，付出血汗泪水去达成某事。
2004年12月印尼苏门答腊对出海底地震，引发印度洋巨大海啸，导致14个国家有约28万人身亡，这也是来自大自然的晴天霹雳（a bolt from the blue）。科学家未能预计到地震或其引发的海啸，但他们能在地震发生后警示人们会有海啸。美国在1949年为夏威夷发明了首个海啸警报系统。而在2004年印度洋海啸后，科学家拼尽全力（blood, sweat, and tears），创立全球海啸警报系统。
大自然却并非上星期维修中的宏福苑巨大火灾的元凶。火灾已导致超过150人死亡，另有无数人下落不明。现在正有调查审视是甚么造成大火于竹棚、棚网及掩盖窗户的发泡胶板间延烧。也许是工人吸烟引致。政府必须竭尽全力（blood, sweat, and tears），找出事件因由，避免将来惨剧再度发生。特首李家超已下令即时巡查所有正进行维修工程大厦的安全，住在其中的居民能松一口气。这是做得正确的事。我们逼切需要再思未来建筑维修的方式。
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻
