Source: http://news.hkheadline.com/dailynews/headline_news_detail_columnist.asp?id=240881§ion_name=wtt&kw=126
A Plan B is a standby or alternate plan in case the original one fails. The expression "stay ahead of the curve" means to be always ahead of others in thinking or in trends. For example, a politician is staying ahead of the curve if he always knows ahead of his rivals what the people are thinking. To keep your eye on the ball means to always pay attention to what is happening. Some people believe the central government's Plan B is to replace Leung with Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor since she is now the number 2 in government. But I am sure the pan-democrats will dig up scandals about Lam, whose husband and children prefer to live in Britain rather than Hong Kong.
The central government will then have to implement (put into effect) Plan C. Many people say Executive Councillor Bernard Charnwut Chan will make a good chief executive. But some have told me they find the name Bernard hard to pronounce and mistakenly call him Banana Chan. That will give Longhair Leung Kwok-hung even more excuses to throw bananas in the Legislative Council. If Plans C and D also fail, the central government should go to Plan Z, which is to return Hong Kong to Britain. Mainland leaders can tell the British that ruling Hong Kong is too troublesome. The central government can then stop all mainland tourists coming to Hong Kong, which will ruin our economy. China can then blame Britain for Hong Kong's demise (death).
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許多人相信,中央政府擔憂特首梁振英民望下跌,於是預備了一個後備B計劃(Plan B)去頂替他,但我認為,一個B計劃(Plan B)是不夠的。中央政府需要C計劃,以防B計劃(Plan B)失敗。如果B計劃(Plan B)失敗,中央政府便要有D計劃,以防C計劃也失敗。只要事事想多一步,中央政府就可以先發制人(stay ahead of the curve)。中央政府要管治好香港已經變得越發困難,因此得全神貫注緊盯着(keep its eye on the ball)才行。
Plan B即是為防原先計劃失敗而擬定的後備方案。習語stay ahead of the curve即是想法或潮流領先別人。例如,若果一個政客可以常常先於對手知道人民在想甚麼,那麼他就能先發制人(stay ahead of the curve)。To keep your eye on the ball意指留神周遭發生的事。有些人相信中央政府的B計劃(Plan B)就是以林鄭月娥取代梁振英,因為她現在是政府第二號人物。但我肯定泛民會發掘林的醜聞,例如她的丈夫和子女情願住在英國也不住在香港。
那麼中央政府就得實施(implement)C計劃了。許多人說行政會議成員陳智思會是一個好特首。但有些人跟我說他們很難正確讀出Bernard這個名,會錯誤讀成Banana Chan。那就會讓長毛梁國雄更多的藉口,在立法會擲蕉了。要是C計劃和D計劃都失敗,那麼中央政府就得用到Z計劃,就是把香港交還給英國。內地領袖會跟英國說,管治香港實在太麻煩了。中央政府會停止所有內地遊客來港,那便會摧毁我們的經濟。然後中國就會將香港之死(demise)歸咎於英國的頭上。
mickchug@gmail.com
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧