Chinglish by Michael Chugani

2012-12-13

Have you noticed how much faster Leung Chun-ying has aged in just six months as chief executive? He looks listless (tired and lacking energy) and some of his hair has turned white. But he shouldn't worry too much. His hair is still not yet salt and pepper. He has more black hair than white. But I am sure the pressure of his work will turn his hair salt and pepper soon. If someone has salt and pepper hair it means he has a mixture of black and white (or gray) hair. Movie star George Clooney has salt and pepper hair. US president Barack Obama has salt and pepper hair too.

        W hen Obama was first elected president he looked young and energetic. But he aged rapidly (very quickly) during his four years in the White House. Bill Clinton also aged very rapidly as president. I wonder what C.Y. Leung will look like when he finishes his five years as chief executive. Will he still have a full head of hair like he does now? A full head of hair is an expression that means a lot of hair. Most men start losing their hair as they grow old but some lucky ones do not. C.Y. Leung is among the lucky ones. He still has a full head of hair even though he is 58 years old. “Longhair” Leung Kwok-hung is 56 but still has a full head of hair.

        Most US presidents age very rapidly because of their heavy responsibilities. But the late Ronald Reagan did not. He took things easy, which means he relaxed and did not work too hard. He did not like to carry the world on his shoulders. The expression “carry the world on your shoulders” means feeling like you have to deal with all the problems of the world. Reagan knew how to delegate (pass on) responsibilities to subordinates (people who work under him). If C.Y. Leung doesn’t want his hair to turn all white, like Bill Clinton, I suggest he take things easy. Or he could copy mainland leaders, who color their hair black to look young.

        ***

        你可有留意到，梁振英任特首六個月以來，快速衰老了多少？他顯得非常倦怠（listless），也開始有白髮了。但他不用太擔心，他的頭髮還未至於黑白相間（salt and pepper），他的黑髮還是比白髮多。但我敢肯定，他的工作壓力一定很快令他的頭髮變得黑中帶白（salt and pepper）。若有人擁有salt and pepper hair即是說他的頭髮黑白（或灰髮）夾雜。電影明星佐治古尼就有一頭灰髮（salt and pepper）。美國總統奧巴馬的頭髮也是灰灰的（salt and pepper）。

        當奧巴馬首度當選總統時，他看起來年輕而充滿活力。可是在白宮打滾了四年，他很快（rapidly）就衰老了。克林頓當總統時也是衰老得很快（rapidly）。我很好奇到底梁振英當了五年特首後，會變成怎個模樣。他仍可以像現在一樣有濃密的頭髮（full head of hair）嗎？Full head of hair就是有許多頭髮。有好些男人年老時，會開始掉髮，也有些幸運兒倖免於難。梁振英是幸運兒之一。他已經五十八歲，但仍然有很多頭髮（full head of hair）。「長毛」梁國雄也五十六歲了，還是有濃密的長髮（full head of hair）。

        許多美國總統衰老得很快（rapidly），因為他們承擔着沉重的責任。但已去世的朗奴列根則不然。他做人輕鬆自在（took things easy），從不過度操勞，不喜歡把全世界的重擔都扛在肩上（carry the world on your shoulders）。習語carry the world on your shoulders意思是去處理全世界的問題。列根懂得將職責委派（delegate）給下屬（subordinates）。如果梁振英不想自己像克林頓一樣，頭髮全部變白，我建議他從容處事（take things easy）。或者像中國領導人一樣，把頭髮染黑，讓自己看來年輕一點。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

議事堂上的《孫子兵法》 / 論盡中港台 by 岑逸飛

13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

　　港府推出每月2,200元的長者生活津貼，但堅持長者需作資產申報，資產限額為18萬6 千港元。本欄已曾發表《長者也要棺材本》，指出這個資產上限太低，而政府的態度，則是決不作絲毫讓步，要硬闖立法會財務委員會通過撥款申請。

 

　　自十月以來，有關這個爭議引起廣泛討論，不僅政府上下齊來說項，更有扶貧界的社會福利學者挺身護航。

 

　　港府對這項措施的立場堅決，其苦衷可以理解，因為這項津貼是以稅收作為資金來源，長遠根本不能持續。這項津貼若不設審查，每年額外開支可達136億港元，現時通過審查，每年額外開支僅為62億港元，預計40萬名長者會受惠。

 

　　反對者則認為政府這項政策並不高瞻遠矚，表面上是扶貧，實際上只能濟燃眉之急，無法照顧2030至2040年香港人口老齡化高峰期的安老需要，因為長者福利制度若全靠稅收支撐，資助水平會受制於經濟變化，且長貧難顧，除非趁這5年工作人口的年輕人比例尚不算太低，推行由政府、僱主及僱員三方供款的全民退休保障制度，資金來源穩定，才是根本之計。

 

　　任何爭議，誰是誰非，總是見仁見智。現時的「長者津貼」，顯然是治標不是治本，但長遠政策，恐怕也要從長計議。而梁振英政府急於通過這個計劃，一來要符合他競選所作政綱的承諾﹔二來畢竟也有四十萬長者受惠，多少會提高這個政府的聲望。而在議事堂上，政府與反對派議員的刀來劍往，猶如在戰場上決一勝負，已不是對錯的爭辯，而是兵法上的策略運用。

 

　　《孫子兵法》講「兵者，詭道也」，所以孫子教人總是以「正兵」合戰，用「奇兵」取勝，出奇才能制勝。講白一點，一般的作戰原則，通常不是靠正面廝殺取勝，而是靠巧妙的戰術運用來智取。列陣對敵、明攻為正，突擊、偷襲為奇。作戰必須有「正奇」變化，要「以正合，以奇勝」，才能戰勝敵人。

 

　　這次反對派議員為要求政府撤銷申報，在審議「長者津貼」事項時展開「拉布」。只是「拉布」策略在議會用得太多，已無新意，一點也不「奇」，對方早有準備。反而勞工及福利局局長張建宗顯然熟讀《孫子兵法》和《三十六計》，在財務委員會會議前數分鐘以奇兵突擊，提交「補充文件」，剔除用作長者生活津貼的25億港元撥款，只申請開設90個新職位處理長者生活津貼的撥款，這可說是用新瓶裝上了舊酒，且是《三十六計》中第一計的「瞞天過海」。結果那些反對派議員可能因「拉布」太久而有倦意，對所提交的文件既沒有看清楚，質疑有關撥款時得不到正面回答又不再窮追猛打，加上不熟讀兵法，完全不知對方偷襲，掉以輕心，表決時糊�糊塗便通過了該份文件。

 

　　雖然事後反對派議員大罵政府採用欺詐手段，「可惡」、「無恥」，可是戰場無父子，誰叫你輕敵﹖打敗了仗便要認輸，何況一切按照議事程序進行，當局自然是「過了海便是神仙」，議員倒不如怪責自己為甚麼表決時沒有三思，罪無可恕，以後要吸取教訓了!