B efore Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying made his first annual policy speech last Wednesday many people said the speech was his last chance to win back the confidence of the people. In other words, he had to deliver a make or break speech. The expression make or break means you either achieve total success (make) or total failure (break). A make or break speech is a speech that is either so good that it saves a person or so bad that it destroys a person. The word memorable means something that is worth remembering. For example, the Beijing Olympics was a memorable event. A pastor is a Christian priest or minister in charge of a church.
Was Leung's first annual policy speech so good that it won a lot of public support which will end the demands for him to step down? Or was it so bad that his critics will still be able to demand that he resign? I think his speech was neither very good nor very bad. It didn't make him (he didn't totally succeed) but it didn't break him (he didn't totally fail) either.
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演說或可成就或可摧毁（make or break）一個政客。政治演說可以沉悶非常，也可名留青史（memorable），香港大部份的從政者和政府官員的演辭卻非常沉悶。英國前首相邱吉爾就發表過許多令人難以忘懷（memorable）的演辭。美國前總統約翰甘迺迪亦是，他教人最難忘（memorable）的演說在一九六一年：「莫問國家可以為你做甚麼，要問你能為國家做甚麼。」馬丁路德金「我有一個夢想」的演講，為黑人的種族平權而疾呼，同樣刻骨銘心（memorable）。當奧巴馬於二○○八年首度競逐總統之位時，有人揭發他的黑人牧師（pastor）曾發表歧視白人的言論。他的演說「不成功便成仁」（make or break），呼籲美國人合力抵抗種族主義，終止了諸多對他的批評，許多人說他的演講好得挽救了他的候選資格。
特首梁振英於上星期三發表他的首份施政報告之前，許多人說這是他贏取市民信任的最後機會。那即是說，他的演辭「不成功便成仁」（make or break）。習語make or break意指你要不大獲全勝（make）要不全盤失敗（break）。A make or break speech即是一篇要不好得救了某人，要不差得摧毁某人的演講。Memorable是指值得記念的，例如北京奧運是一項值得紀念（memorable）的盛事。Pastor是指基督教會裏的牧師。
梁的首份施政報告是否好得贏盡掌聲，以致那些促他下台的人也閉口無言？抑或差得他的批評者仍然能夠迫令他辭職？我認為他的報告不好也不壞。它並沒有成就他（make him），也沒有摧毁他（break him）。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧