Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - walking on air｜又中又英

There are many ways to tell if a person is happy or sad. One way is to look at the way a person walks. Is that person walking with hunched shoulders? Does it look like that person is walking on air? Another way to tell a person’s mood is facial expression. It’s the easiest way to tell if a person is happy, sad, or anxious. To walk with hunched shoulders means to walk with your shoulders raised, your head down, and your body leaning forward. People who are sad or cold often walk with hunched shoulders.

If you are walking on air, it means you are very happy. Your facial expression is the way you show your feelings without saying anything. It is hard to guess if a person is happy or sad if a facemask covers a person’s facial expression. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced a Happy Hong Kong campaign in his recent budget. Three days later the government announced people must still wear facemasks at least until March 8. I felt it was stupid to have a Happy Hong Kong campaign when masks make it impossible to tell if people are happy.

The government flip-flopped on Tuesday when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chi cancelled all mask rules after Macau cancelled the need to wear masks outdoors, making Hong Kong the only place in the world to require facemasks. To flip-flop means to suddenly and completely change an earlier decision. Why is the Hong Kong government always playing second fiddle to Singapore and Macau? To play second fiddle means to be less important than another place or person.
＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

要知道一個人是開心還是憂傷，有很多方法，其中一個方法就是去看一個人走路的姿態。那個人走路是否弓着背（hunched shoulders）？還是那個人走路輕飄飄的、像騰雲駕霧一般的快樂（walking on air）？另一個可以看出一個人心情的方法就是面部表情（facial expression），這是最容易去知道某人是快樂、憂傷又或緊張的方法。To walk with hunched shoulders即是駝着肩背、垂着頭，身體向前傾。那些憂傷又或寒冷的人常會弓着背（hunched shoulders）走路。

若你是walking on air，意即你得意洋洋、高興極了。你的facial expression就是你的面部表情，不用說話已能反映出你的心情。若戴上了口罩遮蓋了一個人的面部表情（facial expression），那就很難去猜度那人到底是快樂還是不快樂。財政司司長陳茂波在他最近的財政預算案中宣佈一個名為「快樂香港」的活動。3天後，政府則宣佈，至少直至3月8日前人們仍必須戴口罩。去推廣一個「快樂香港」的活動，戴着口罩卻令人難以辨別他人是快樂還是不快樂，我覺得這實在愚蠢得很。

星期二，政府卻來了個一百八十度大轉彎（flip-flopped），在澳門取消室外地方必須戴口罩的措施，令香港成為全世界唯一一個必須戴口罩的地方後，特首李家超便取消了口罩令。To flip-flop就是出爾反爾，突然全盤推翻早前的決定。為甚麼香港政府總是在playing second fiddle to新加坡和澳門？To play second fiddle的意思就是屈居另一人或另一地方之後，居次要的地位。
[email protected] 中譯：七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧