又中又英 | Jaywalkers | 褚简宁

　　Friends alerted me during my recent Hong Kong visit to watch out for the police at pedestrian crossings. They said the police were on the prowl to catch jaywalkers. To be on the prowl means to move in a quiet way looking for something or someone to catch. A jaywalker, as I have explained before, is a pedestrian who violates traffic laws by crossing a street illegally. The police last month began a citywide action to catch jaywalkers and motorists who break traffic rules. A policeman lurking at a pedestrian crossing penalized me for jaywalking on Des Voeux Road many years ago.

　　To lurk means to wait secretly. I had crossed part of Des Voeux Road on a red light to catch a tram before it left the tram stop. I felt it was safe to cross during a red light because no vehicles were coming my way. I have avoided jaywalking ever since because once bitten, twice shy. This expression means to avoid doing something a second time because you had a bad experience doing it the first time. The police and traffic wardens were not lurking or on the prowl during last month's action.

　　Pedestrians could clearly see them. I agree with last month’s action to catch jaywalkers and motorists because 96 people died in traffic accidents last year. During my HK visit, I saw many vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings, making it difficult for people to cross during a green light. But the police seem more eager to penalize jaywalkers than motorists who break the law. I have seen the police penalize jaywalkers but have never seen the police penalize motorists who block pedestrian crossings.

＊   ＊   ＊   ＊   ＊   ＊   ＊   ＊

  最近回港，朋友们提醒我留神在行人过路处旁会有警察。他们说警方是 on the prowl去抓jaywalkers。To be on the prowl是指静悄悄地徘徊，寻找捕捉某物或某人。A jaywalker，正如我以前解释过的，就是违反交通规则乱过马路的行人。上月警方开始一个全港的行动，捉拿乱过马路的行人（jaywalkers）和违反交通规则的驾驶者。许多年前，在德辅道有一位潜伏（lurking）在行人过路处的警员，因为我乱过马路（jaywalking）而给我罚款告票。

　　To lurk是指潜伏静待。我为了在电车驶离电车站前赶上车，冲红灯横过了德辅道的一段。当时我认为冲那个红灯是安全的，因为没有车辆向我的方向驶过来。自此以后，我便不再乱过马路（jaywalking），因为 once bitten, twice shy——所谓「一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳」，这个习语意思是你有过一次不好的经验，就会避免再做一次。在上个月的行动中，警察和交通督导员却并非潜伏（lurking）或悄悄徘徊（on the prowl）。

　　行人都可以清楚地看见他们。我认同上月严打乱过马路的行人（jaywalkers）和驾驶者的行动，因为上年有96人死于交通意外。我在香港逗留期间，见有许多车辆阻塞行人过路处，以至行人在绿灯过马路时相当困难。然而，警方似乎更热衷处罚乱过马路的行人（jaywalkers），多于违反交通规则的驾驶者。我曾见过警察处罚乱过马路的行人（jaywalkers），却从未见过警方处罚阻塞斑马线的驾驶者。

[email protected]
Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻