又中又英 | Cavalier attitude | 褚简宁
In a previous column, I wrote about my recent visit to Hong Kong where I often saw vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings during a green light for pedestrians. The blocking made it difficult for pedestrians to cross before the light turned red. This cavalier attitude by vehicle drivers is most acute in busy areas such as Central and on Nathan Road in the Yau-Tsim-Mong district. I saw vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings numerous times during my recent Hong Kong visit. Many people, including me, were often unable to finish crossing before the light turned red.
If you have a cavalier attitude, it means you don't care about the safety or feelings of other people. The cavalier attitudes of drivers who block pedestrian crossings fly in the face of traffic rules. The expression “fly in the face of” means to completely ignore or oppose what is sensible or normal, such as rules or logic. Several readers responded to my previous column, which also discussed jaywalking in addition to vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings. A jaywalker is a pedestrian who ignores traffic rules by crossing a road illegally.
One reader said Hong Kong has so many jaywalkers because the green light for pedestrians is too short compared to the very long green light for vehicles. He said pedestrians become impatient and jaywalk. I agree with him. I have written about this unfairness many times in recent years. But it seems the Transport Department doesn't give a hoot about pedestrians. If you don't give a hoot, it means you don't care. The Transport Department only cares about smooth traffic.
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在之前一篇文章里，我写到我最近回香港，不时见到车辆在行人绿灯的时候，阻塞斑马线。这样停车阻塞令行人难于在交通灯转红前过马路。车辆驾驶者的这种傲慢态度（cavalier attitude），在繁忙地区如中环或油尖旺区的弥敦道尤甚。我最近返港，就有无数次见过有车辆阻塞行人斑马线。许多人，包括我，都时时难以在交通灯转红前过完马路。
若你有cavalier attitude，意即你不大理会安全或他人感受。那些阻挡行人斑马线的司机们的漫不经心（cavalier attitudes），实在是公然违反（fly in the face of）交通规则。习语 fly in the face of是指完全漠视或违背一样合理或正常的事，例如法规或逻辑。有几位读者回应了我之前那篇讨论乱过马路（jaywalking）以至车辆停在斑马线上的文章。A jaywalker就是无视交通规则，违规乱过马路的人。
一位读者说，香港有那么多乱过马路的人（jaywalkers），因为相对于给车辆驶过的超长时间绿灯，给行人过马路的绿灯时长实在太短了。他说，行人因而变得没耐性而冲红灯（jaywalk）。我认同他的说法。我近年已多次写过这种不公平的状况。可是，运输署似乎一点也不在乎（doesn't give a hoot）行人。若你don't give a hoot，意即你毫不在乎。运输署只关心流畅的车流。
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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻
