T he latest scandal dogging Leung is accusations of illegal conduct by Executive Councillor Franklin Lam Fan-keung in the selling of two flats. The first scandal to dog Leung was the illegal structures found in his home on the Peak. There have been numerous other earthquakes in between. His first development secretary, Mak Chai-kwong, resigned after the ICAC arrested him for having cheated in claiming government housing allowance. Mak's successor Paul Chan Mo-po was dogged by a scandal involving illegally subdivided flats he and his wife owned. He was also photographed by the media driving after drinking beer. Hong Kong was hit on the October 1 national day by a tragic ferry collision, which killed 39 people. Before that, we were struck by a political earthquake involving national education.
Have I forgotten any others? As I said, I have lost count. To lose count means to forget the number of times something has happened. It is similar to the expression "lose track". When a person is jinxed it means that person brings bad luck or is unlucky. When someone is dogged by scandals it means he is always being followed by scandals. The expression wishful thinking means believing that something that you want to happen will really happen even though it won't. For example, it is wishful thinking that C.Y. Leung can quickly make flats affordable for everyone. Do you think Leung is really jinxed or are some Hong Kong people not giving him a fair chance to govern?
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梁振英是否不祥（jinxed）人？我也開始這樣相信了。他當了特首不過四個月，一宗宗醜聞纏身（dogged）。他所受的醜聞多得我也數不清（lose track）了。每一趟他的施政又被另一個政治風波打擊，我總會暗忖，他這個特首到底還可以做多久？有些批評梁的人認為，他不會完成五年任期，但我認為這只是他們的癡心妄想（wishful thinking）。我相信梁會做滿五年特首，除非有一單醜聞，大得令他完全失信於人。
最新一宗纏繞（dogging）梁的醜聞，是有關行政會議成員林奮強違規賣出兩個單位的指控，而第一宗纏上（dog）梁的醜聞是他在山頂大宅的非法僭建，在這兩宗之間，還有無數的震盪。他的第一位發展局局長麥齊光，被廉署以瞞騙政府租金津貼罪名拘捕，其後辭職。麥的繼任人陳茂波，則被他和太太經營的非法劏房醜聞纏着（dogged）。他又被傳媒拍到酒後駕駛。而於十月一日國慶那天，則發生導致三十九人死亡的撞船慘劇，震驚全港。在那之前，別忘了還有國民教育的這個政治動盪。
我有沒有數漏了哪一件？如我所說，我早已數不清楚（lose count）了。To lose count就是忘了事件發生的次數，與習語 "lose track" 有點類近。說一個人是jinxed即是說他很不幸或帶來厄運。說一個人dogged by scandals便是指他常常尾隨着種種醜聞。習語wishful thinking是指，相信事情會如你所期許的發生，即使事實不是這樣。例如，期望梁振英會迅速壓抑樓市，令人人負擔得起，這個想法根本就是癡人說夢（wishful thinking）。你又是否認為，梁確實不祥（jinxed），還是有些香港人根本沒有給他施政的公平機會？mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧